The Family That Loses Everything
by LMXB
Summary: Separate crises on the same night leave Kara, Alex and the DEO reeling. As old acquaintances remerge little do they know the real danger is just beginning and will threaten to destroy the Danvers family forever.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Supergirl or the characters.

 **A/N:** This is set soon after the end of season 2. It is going to start off dark, but will get happier as the story progresses.

* * *

"Alex, I came as soon as I could." Kara said rushing towards her sister who waited in a hospital corridor. "Are you hurt?" She asked seeing the blood covering Alex's shirt.

"It's not mine." Alex said numbly.

"How is she?" Kara asked. The question bringing Alex out of her shocked state and igniting an ire in her belly.

"She was shot Kara. How do you think she is?" Alex replied, her voice bitter and angry.

"I'm sorry. I tried to get there."

"Well you didn't try hard enough." Alex said.

"I-" Kara started only for Alex to cut her off.

"She was bleeding in my arms for fifteen minutes. I held her, watching the life drain from her."

"I'm sorry." Kara said. "I wanted to get there, I tried to get there, but I couldn't."

"You didn't try very hard. Was it because if you can't be happy the rest of us can't be either?" Alex asked.

"What? No. It wasn't like that." Kara said as Alex's accusation felt like a punch to her gut.

"Just go." Alex demanded. "I can't deal with you right now."

"I'm sorry." Kara said trying to hide how hurt she was. Without saying anything else Kara hurried down the corridor away from Alex.

As Alex sat back down she kept seeing the look Kara had had on her face and Alex replayed the conversation hating herself for what she had said. Taking out her phone she tried to ring Kara only to realise her battery had died. Angrily she threw the phone into the wall, watching it shatter.

-00-

"How's Maggie?" Winn asked when Kara arrived back at the DEO.

"Not good. She's in surgery."

"You couldn't have done anything." Winn said before reminding her. "If you had gone to help her the nuclear missiles would have hit the city and thousands would have died, including Maggie and Alex. You did the right thing."

"Maybe I am sick of doing the right thing for the greater good." Kara said sadly.

"You don't mean that." Winn said. "And even if you did, it was still the right thing."

"Well Alex doesn't see it that way." Kara said.

"Does she actually know what you and J'onn did? What it cost J'onn?"

"No."

"You should tell her." Winn said.

"She hates me right now and she has bigger problems."

"It's Alex. She doesn't hate you." Winn said. "When she has calmed down she is going to regret saying what she said and she is going to need her sister."

"No she won't. But she will need food and clothes. I can do that." Kara said. "I'm going to check on J'onn then I am going to drop a bag off at the hospital. You know how to reach me." She added hurrying to the infirmary. When she reached it she paused outside before taking a breath and entering.

When she saw J'onn lying motionless wrapped in so many bandages he looked like a mummy she felt her guilt well up once more. Walking to his side she gently took his hand.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop you getting hit. If I were faster maybe I could have stopped you getting hurt. Maybe I could have got to Maggie. Alex is mad at me and I don't blame her. But she needs help. She doesn't want to see me right now, but I know she would like to see you. So please J'onn, wake up and go to Alex. She needs you." With that she kissed the bandage on his forehead and left.

-00-

Having dropped a bag and care package off at the nurses' station Kara returned to her apartment feeling lost. Just as she reached her door she saw a familiar but unwelcome figure on her doorstep.

"Max? What do you want?" Kara asked.

"I need your help. Can we talk, in private?"

"Why would I help you? You hate me." Kara said letting them into her apartment, too tired to argue.

"I thought we had put that behind us." Max said glibly before growing serious and saying. "You are right I don't trust aliens, including you. So the fact I am here asking you for your help should tell you I am desperate."

"You lost your train set?"

"Cute. But I wish that was all it was. I screwed up. And I can't fix it by myself and now countless lives are at risk."

"What have you done?" Kara asked.

"I tried to save the world."

 **-TBC**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	2. Chapter 2

"Shouldn't we get Alex down here?" Max asked as he sat with Kara and Winn in a DEO briefing room.

"No." Kara said. "She's busy."

"What about the Director?"

"He's in a coma." Kara replied.

"The battle from last night?" Max guessed.

"Yes."

"What exactly happened? I mean I saw the news and those missiles you stopped looked distinctly nuclear."

"They were." Winn said.

"Let me a guess, an alien or aliens, broke into a facility and launched them for fun?" Max asked.

"No, one of our nuclear subs was infected by some sort of ancient parasite, which took control of the crew and caused them to be overcome by paranoia and they launched." Winn explained.

"I think I've seen that movie." Max commented before asking. "And the Director?"

"While I was stopping the missiles he tried to take control of the sub. He was hurt, badly. Now he is in a coma and he is not healing." Kara explained, from her tone it was obvious she was feeling responsible.

"I'm sorry." Max said.

"So what exactly have you done?" Kara asked not wanting to discuss J'onn.

"All I wanted to do was save the world. My intentions were completely honourable."

"This is going to be bad." Winn muttered.

"Your aunt was right, we are destroying the planet. In order to reverse the damage we need to stop burning fossil fuels, now."

"So you were researching a new power source?" Winn guessed.

"New to us." Max agreed before looking at Kara. "Not to you."

"You have an Omegahedron? You took it after Myriad." Kara said eyes wide.

"No. I was loaned it by General Lane."

"You hate the government. Why would you trust them?" Kara asked.

"Because I genuinely believed that I was in control and the good that would come from the work would out weigh the cost. Think about it. One of those could power a city. If I could make more we could power the world and stop climate change."

"But that wasn't Lane's plan?" Kara guessed. "He wanted a weapon."

"Yes, but even I knew that and if he got a new way to stop aliens then it was win win. What I didn't see was that he had no intention of ever powering the world with it. The sad part is at the end of the day he was right, the technology can never be released. If we did it would destroy the world."

"Because it is unstable?" Winn guessed.

"No. If we released it all economies reliant on fossil fuels would collapse over night. The Middle East, Russia, India, America. The world's economy would collapse and war would be inevitable."

"So you were just there to build a weapon?" Kara said.

"Yes. When I realised it could never be used for what we need it to be used for I was going to walk away."

"But?"

"But I heard rumours. You see even it we could release the technology without sparking war, we couldn't get it, especially the human built versions, to work safely. Earth doesn't have the right materials to build a safe conduit. Then all of a sudden people were talking about safely extracting energy from the final prototype. It shouldn't be possible, so I dug a little deeper."

"And?" Kara prompted.

"No matter what you think of me I am not a monster and I would never have taken part in the programme if I had known that was their method. And not just because I am pretty certain it'll become unstable and destroy America if not the world, but because it is inhumane."

"How are they controlling it?" Winn asked causing Max to pull out a tablet from his bag and start a video. Once it had started playing he handed it to Kara and said. "They are using an old friend of yours."

"Leslie?" Kara ask horrified when she saw how much pain her nemesis was in as her body was used as a conduit for the energy.

"They are reliant on her channelling the energy. But based on my calculations, assuming they continue the programme at the same rate, she will die in less than thirty six hours. When she does, boom."

"Where is she?" Kara asked. I have to get her out."

"We can't. It's not safe."

"We can't leave her hooked up to the device." Kara said pacing.

"Well if we disconnect her she may live but the device becomes unstable and a lot of people will die." Max said. "That base is located near a town with a population of over eight thousand. Including three thousand children. But that is just the start. The fallout from the explosion would wipe out America and possibly the world. Which is why I really think we should get Alex down here."

"No, she has bigger problems."

"Bigger than the death of thousands if not millions?" Max asked.

"Yes." Kara said.

"I'm thinking she has her priorities wrong." Max said.

"What about Lena?" Kara asked.

"Luthor?" Max questioned confused.

"Yes. She's a genius and she has resources." Kara pointed out.

"So the rumours are true a Super is trusting a Luthor?" Max asked.

"Lena has earned my trust." Kara said.

"Well she's no me, but maybe she'll have something that could help."

-00-

"Supergirl? Lena asked looking over to her window.

"May I come in?" Supergirl asked.

"Of course. What's wrong?"

"The world may be about to end and we need your help."

"That's quite an opening. Is there another armada?"

"I hope not. This is human caused." Supergirl explained.

"Makes a change." Lena commented. "Any particular humans? Wait, not my mother."

"No. This time it is the army and Maxwell Lord."

"Max?" Lena asked. "He's been helping the military? But he hates the government."

"Well he put that to one side as he hates aliens more." Supergirl said. "And between them they built a device that when it goes critical will kill thousands, maybe millions."

"When? Not if?" Lena asked.

"When." Supergirl confirmed. "Less than thirty six hours."

"What can I do?"

"Come with me."

 **-TBC**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	3. Chapter 3

"You really are the anti-Lex." Max commented as he sat in a lab with Lena working on some simulations. "I mean you trust all aliens. First Supergirl, then the evil Empress hellbent on invasion."

"A woman I also helped kill." Lena responded without looking up form her computer.

"So you do have some Luthor DNA after all. But I thought that was your mother who killed her?"

"No. Lex prototyped the bomb. I finished it and Supergirl detonated it. My mother just claimed credit."

"I see those family issues still aren't resolved."

"Neither is your god complex." Lena shot back.

"Why is it women think I have a god complex?" Max asked.

"Because you do. I mean you decided to try and save the world. And now it is on the verge of destruction." Lena said before something flashed on her screen. "Got it."

"Got what?"

"Where you went wrong."

-00-

"What do you have?" Supergirl asked as she entered the lab.

"My lab can build a type of Faraday cage made of a compound using silver nano tubes. Once done Max's device can be disconnected from Livewire and placed into the cage. The cage isn't a long term solution but will buy a little time. The problem is as the electricity flows from Max's device and becomes trapped in the cage, the device gets unstable and will undergo a chain reaction and explode. So after Max's device is in the cage you will have a maximum of ten minutes to fly it somewhere far far away before it explodes." Lena explained.

"That doesn't sound so bad." Supergirl said.

"There's a catch." Lena said. "If it explodes in the ocean it will trigger tsunamis which will wipe out entire islands."

"So don't drop it in the sea?" Supergirl said.

"If it explodes over an ocean the shock wave will also trigger tsunamis." Lena added.

"What about over land?" Supergirl asked.

"The dust storm will block the sun and cause a mini ice age." Lena explained.

"In space?" Kara tried.

"You wouldn't be able to fly it far enough from the Earth before you died." Max said. "The blast would knock out every satellite in orbit. Most would crash down to Earth and kill a lot of people. Plus the teenagers would have a break down when their phones didn't work and they actually had to talk to people."

"I'm not seeing how this is progress." Supergirl confessed.

"We have come up with a possible way to contain the explosion." Lena said.

"Two ways." Max corrected.

"No, one. The second is not an option." Lena said.

"What are they?" Supergirl asked.

"There is an underground chamber three hundred miles from where the device is currently located that should shield most of the effects." Max said.

"That seems a little convenient." Winn said suspiciously.

"It is a cosmic ray detector. It is highly shielded to allow detection of neutrinos and other exotic particles. If you get the device there it will destroy the facility and there will be many angry scientists and engineers. But the energy should be contained." Max explained.

"He's telling the truth." Lena said as Winn continued to stare suspiciously at Max.

"What's the other option?" Supergirl asked.

"Not viable." Lena said.

"Tell me." Supergirl demanded.

"You go somewhere remote and smother the device with your body, absorbing the blast." Max explained. "Your body would only do so much, but it should dampen the effects enough to only cause a mini dust cloud. If you are in the middle of no where the impact to humans will be minimal."

"But that will kill you." Lena said.

"But it will be quick." Max pointed out.

"And unbelievably painful." Lena countered still disgusted that Max was suggesting it.

"And not an option." Winn said adamantly.

"How long until the Faraday cage is ready?" Supergirl asked.

"Four hours. But we should have another two days before Max's device goes critical so we could wait, see if we can come up with a different plan." Lena said.

"No we can't. Leslie is being tortured. I refuse to sit back and watch that happen. When the cage is ready I go in."

"How touching. Is that residual guilt for creating Livewire in the first place?" Max asked.

"You really can't help yourself can you?" Lena asked Max, appalled he was goading Supergirl even now.

"You have four hours to come up with another plan." Supergirl said. "If you'll excuse me I have some things to sort out." She said leaving the lab.

"Supergirl wait up." Winn said scampering after her. "Look I know things have been bad for you recently but you don't need redemption. You don't have to do this." Winn said.

"Yes I do." Kara said. "It's the right thing to do. And as you pointed out I'm good at doing the right thing."

-00-

"Kara." Cat said looking up from her desk, getting distracted by seeing her former assistant pace outside her office.

"Yes Ms Grant." Kara said entering the office.

"Why are you pacing the office?"

"I was thinking and looking for James."

"He's out at the trade show. He'll be in tomorrow."

"Right." Kara said.

"Is everything okay?" Cat asked. "That frown is becoming a permanent feature."

"It's fine. I just have a lot going on at the moment. Family problems."

"First a boyfriend, then family problems. It is like you have finally reached puberty." Cat commented before noticing Kara's normal spark was missing and offered. "Would you like to talk about it?"

"No. It wouldn't help or change anything." Kara said. "But thank you. I really missed you when you were away, I missed your advice. I guess I didn't realise how much until you came back. Thank you for everything."

"Are you about to do something stupid?" Cat asked. "Or are you angling to become our new obituary writer?"

"No and no. I just wanted to say thank you." Kara said before glancing at her watch. "I need to go."

-00-

"She's awake." A nurse said as Kara approached.

"Excuse me?"

"Detective Sawyer is awake. She'll be okay." The nurse smiled.

"Really? That's great." Kara said.

"Another bag for your sister?" The nurse questioned.

"Yes. And a box of cookies for all of you as well."

"That's very kind." The nurse replied. "Do you want me to tell your sister you are here?"

"No. Just pass this onto her please?"

"Of course."

 **-TBC**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Thank you for the reviews. For the guest reviewers I can't responded directly to, Kara hasn't accepted option two as her first choice. There will be more in this chapter on the different options. I have tried to keep this close to the show so Lena does not openly know that Kara is Supergirl. That said I personally believe there is no way she can't know so maybe later I will bring that in. Lena was a very last minute addition to this story so I haven't fully decided where to take her yet.

* * *

"Did you get what you were after?" Lena asked Winn as they drove back from L-Corp.

"I did, thank you." He said tapping his bag. "I don't know if it will help. But it is better than nothing." He said before looking at the case sitting on the floor of the limo and asking. "You think the cage will work?"

"I hope so." Lena replied. "But there are a lot of unknowns."

"Are you sure Max is on the level?" Winn asked.

"You don't trust him either?" Lena guessed.

"No and we have a lot of history and a lot of reason not to trust him. Although he did help save K- Supergirl from the Black Mercy and he was kind of useful during Myriad, so maybe I am being paranoid."

"I have no idea what his real motives are. But there is nothing I have seen that indicates he's lied to us." Lena said. "Although willingly choosing to work with the government seems out of character. But the Omegahedron is like the ultimate toy so maybe it is not that hard to believe. From everything I have seen there is no reason not believe him. But he seems a little too eager to watch Supergirl sacrifice herself." Lena replied. "I mean there was no reason to tell her about option two, at least until option one failed."

"What are the chances that option one will fail?" Winn asked.

"If all the assumptions are correct it is about fifty fifty. However, we have no idea how unstable that device is or how quickly it is generating power. Max has not been involved with the prototype for a few weeks. The military could have changed it and it may be behaving differently to what Max is expecting. If that is the case it could go critical a lot quicker than twenty minutes."

"I thought you said ten?" Winn asked suspiciously.

"I said ten to get the device somewhere safe. I allowed an extra ten for Supergirl to get out of there."

-00-

"You okay? You don't seem like your normal chipper self." Max commented as he and Kara waited for Lena to return.

"Do you really care?"

"Normally no. But seeing the fate of the world is in your hands, your mental state is more of a concern than normal."

"I'm fine." Kara said.

"Does this have something to do with Alex?" Max asked.

"That is none of your business."

"I'll take that as a yes. Is she okay?" Max probed.

"I don't know." Kara said sadly.

"As much as I hate Hallmark moments, perhaps you should see her. You being this distracted isn't going to help save the world."

"She doesn't want to see me."

"I doubt that. You were inseparable."

"Were." Kara agreed. "A lot has changed. And then her girlfriend was shot. She blames me."

"You should see her. Alex has a right to know what is happening. Wait girlfriend? That explains why we never worked."

"If I tell her she'll want to help. But right now she needs to be with Maggie." Kara said ignoring his last comment.

"This could be a one way trip for you." Max pointed out.

"I know."

"If you don't make it do you want me to pass on a message?"

"You want me to trust you to pass on my dying words?" Kara asked.

"You are limited on options." Max pointed out. "When this is over, if you don't make it, your friends are going to be too upset to be much help to Alex. What ever differences we have I have always had a soft spot for your sister."

"Fine. Please can you give her this." Kara said handing over an envelope.

"Of course."

"Everything okay?" Winn asked as he and Lena entered the lab.

"It's fine." Supergirl said before asking "Do you have the cage?"

"We do. All ready for Max to test." Lena said handing over the case.

"I also have a present for you." Winn said pulling out a new Supergirl costume from his bag. "Lena let me use her lab and I used the same silver nanotube technology that's in the cage to make you a new costume. It won't make you immune from electrocution, but it may make you a little more resilient."

"Thank you." Supergirl said taking the costume from Winn before disappearing in a blur. Returning moments later in the new costume.

"I didn't have time to do those other modifications, but next model I will." He added as Supergirl hugged him.

"As touching as this is I need to verify the cage will work." Max said.

"Watch him." Supergirl said to Winn.

"Of course." He smiled as Lena turned to Supergirl and asked.

"Can we talk privately?"

"Sure."

-00-

"Supergirl. I'm sorry." Lena said as they walked out onto the balcony confusing the hero.

"For what? This isn't your fault. In fact you have helped save everyone."

"I meant I'm sorry for what I made you do. With the bomb. I should have kept the trigger, detonated the device myself. Not force you to do it."

"By giving me the trigger you bought me time. I wanted to talk Rhea down. I never would have had the opportunity if you hadn't given me the trigger."

"But then you were forced to kill Rhea. You are not a killer, or you weren't till I made you one."

"You didn't make me do anything." Supergirl said before adding sadly. "And it is not the first time I have been forced to kill."

"If you are at peace with it, why are you so happy to accept a suicide mission?"

"I'm not happy, just accepting of the situation. Besides it may not be a suicide mission. Your plan is a good one."

"Maybe, but I can't help but feel now you know about option two you will be a little more willing to give up on option one if things start going wrong."

"That's why you didn't want to tell me?" Supergirl guessed.

"It is. I trust you. But I also believe you will do whatever you think is right regardless of the personal cost. If you view option two as safer for everyone I worry you will carry it out even though option one could work."

"I don't want this to be a suicide mission." Supergirl said. "But I will do whatever it takes to keep the Earth safe."

"It doesn't have to be you." Lena argued.

"Yes it does. There are only three people on this planet that have a chance. J'onn who is in a coma, my cousin who has too much to lose and me."

"It's ready." Max said as he and Winn joined Lena and Supergirl on the balcony.

"It looks like it works." Winn confirmed.

"Great." Supergirl said reaching out to take the device.

"Good luck." Winn said to his friend who nodded and took to the skies.

"Seems almost fitting that a Luthor sends a Super to their death." Max commented.

"This is your mess." Winn reminded Max as he walked back to his workstation to track his friend's progress.

 **-TBC**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** Thank you for the comments. _green-tea01:_ Alex will be finding out soon and there will be a lot of guilt. _Superkara_ : Thanks - there will be more Max to come.

* * *

"What's the meaning of this?" Lane demanded as Supergirl crashed through the roof of his military facility, into the room adjacent to where Livewire was being kept hooked up to the human version of the Omegahedron.

"I am stopping you torturing Livewire and removing the device before it becomes critical."

"The mutant is a criminal. One who has tried to kill you on multiple occasions. You should be pleased that she is repaying her debt to society. The device is safe. Just ask the team here." Lane said.

"Actually Sir as I've been trying to tell you, it is not safe." One of the army techs said.

"You told me Livewire would absorb the energy if it went critical." Lane said turning to the subordinate. As he spoke Supergirl could almost feel the anger radiating from Lane.

"Yes Sir. But she is dying. Her body can't take the strain. When she dies there will be no way to contain it."

"Open the door I am going to disconnect the device." Supergirl ordered.

"You can't disconnect her. If you do the device will blow." The tech said.

"I forbid you from entering that room. One more step and I will order your detainment." Lane said.

"I have a plan." Supergirl said to the tech before turning to Lane. "You have no right to detain me or Livewire." With that she pulled the secure door off its hinges before entering the chamber with the device and Livewire. Carefully she approached the device and took hold of it. As she did so electricity surged from the device to her. Although Winn's improvements to her suit channeled some of the energy away it still felt like she was being attacked by Livewire.

Groaning and grunting Supergirl fought to rip the device from the wires connecting it to Livewire before placing it in the cage. When she sealed the cage she dropped to her knees panting.

"Supergirl? Are you okay?" Winn asked over the communicator.

"I will be." She said slightly breathlessly before getting to her feet and picking up the cage in one hand and Livewire in the other before flying out of the facility.

Having flown a few miles she landed by a power line and watched as Livewire regained consciousness.

"Get out of here." Supergirl instructed. "I have to dispose of this." She said taking off leaving Livewire. She barely made it another five miles before the a spark shot from the cage hitting her in the chest, causing her to plummet to the ground.

"I think there's a problem." Supergirl said over her comms device as she shook off the effects of the fall.

"What?"

"The box is glowing and sparking." Kara explained. "It is shooting out big bolts of electricity. And it looks like it is melting."

"Damn it, there is too much current." Lena said before looking at Max. "You must have underestimated how unstable it was."

"Can you still make it to the particle detector?" Winn asked.

"I'll try." Supergirl said taking to the sky once more only to be zapped again and once again fell to the ground.

"It keeps zapping me. I can't make it."

"Can you get it somewhere remote?" Max asked. "Can you make it a two thirty hundreds miles west?"

"I'll try." Supergirl said standing.

"Wait, I may have another plan." Lena said.

"What?" Max asked.

"If we try to contain the power it explodes. The alternative is to unleash the power."

"That could cause the Earth to go back to the dark ages." Max said.

"Only if it happened in the wrong place."

"There isn't a right place. Near the sea all life stock gets electrocuted. And the comms pipes get taken out. Near land power lines carry the current to power stations and bang. Even in remote places the ground would conduct." Max pointed out.

"Some ground is less conductive than other. And there is one area that may offer us a chance." Lena said pointing at a map. "Can you fly one hundred and twenty miles in under five minutes?"

"I thought I had seven left?"

"That was when we were exploding. The discharge will happen quicker and you need enough time to get far enough away. The discharge will kill you if you are close to the device." Lena said.

"So I go two hundred and thirty miles west and hope it explodes or one hundred and twenty miles north and let it discharge?" Supergirl asked.

"Something like that. But if you want it to discharge you have to get it out of the cage in no more then four minutes and thirty seconds." Lena said. "After that nothing if it remains in the cage it will become critical."

"Okay." Supergirl said taking off.

"Okay what?" Winn asked. "Which plan? Tell me you're going North. North you'll live."

"Not a good time to talk." Supergirl said as she flew as fast as she could, progress being punctuated with zaps from the device. Each arc of electricity getting stronger.

"Damn it. I've lost her." Winn said as the electricity caused her tracker not to work as the DEO command room sat in silence waiting.

As Supergirl reached what she thought was her target she ripped open the cage and gripped the energy device as it kept hitting her with enough volts to send her tumbling into the ground, loosing her grip on the device as she did so.

As she hit the ground she momentarily blacked out. When she came to she tried to shake off the effects of another fall whilst wondering how long she had been out for.

"Winn? Can you hear me?" She asked, not sure if her communicator was still working.

"Su….gi…..ou….t…..th…." Was the crackling disjointed reply.

Sitting up she looked around and she saw a bright glowing orb with arcs of electricity shooting out. Not sure if she had freed the device form the cage in time to allow it to discharge, she stumbled towards the device before she fell on top of it trying to shield it as much as possible. As she lay on top of it she felt the pain surge through her body as the current hit her, causing her to scream in agony. Feeling herself lose her grip on consciousness she briefly saw a blue flash before she blacked out.

 **-TBC . . .**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	6. Chapter 6

"Come on Supergirl." Winn said as he paced by his terminal, unable to sit and listen to her screams any longer. "Please get out of there." He pleaded. Then all of sudden the screams stopped. With the sudden silence he sat at his terminal and waited for some sign that his friend was okay. "Maybe she did it?" Winn said, hope in his voice.

"Or she died." Max pointed out.

"Or her radio broke." Lena said just before the lights went off.

For a while time seemed to stand still before eventually the generators kicked in. The second there was light a flurry of activity broke out as some Agents tried to locate Supergirl whilst others tried to assess the damage.

"Power is is all over the city. In fact all over the State." One Agent reported. "Neighbouring States are reporting minimal outages. Looks like a huge surge blew several transformers, which cascaded much like the 89 and 03 blackouts. Emergency generators have kicked in at all critical locations."

"No sign of Supergirl." Another Agent reported.

"Don't." Lena said turning to Max.

"Don't what?"

"Don't say whatever inappropriate comment you are thinking of."

"I won't, mainly because there are so many I can't choose." He said as Winn tried to regain a video feed over any of the areas Supergirl could have gone to.

"No no no." He muttered before calling again. "Supergirl? Do you read?…..Supergirl please."

"Rescue choppers already on their way." Vasquez said.

"To where? We don't even know where she went." Winn pointed out.

"Both locations." Vasquez explained.

"You won't find her." Max said. "The device would have acted like a huge Hubley Atomic Disintegrator. Except everything will be gone."

"If you don't have anything constructive to say, perhaps you should shut up." Lena said.

-00-

"Teams are reaching the first site now." Vasquez reported eighteen minutes later as she pulled up imagery from the helicopter.

"I don't see anything." Lena said looking at the screen.

"As I said nothing to find." Max said.

"Even if the device acted as a disintegrator, remnants of the device should still be there." Winn commented. "And if it exploded there should be a crater."

"You may want to see this." Vasquez called over from her terminal.

"What is it?"

"I've been looking at data from seismographs. Obviously local ones are reporting no data due to lack of power, but I can get ones much further afield." Vasquez said. "I've run an algorithm to try and locate smaller scale disturbances and there was one right here." She said pulling up a map.

"That's fifty miles further north than she was meant to go." Lena said.

"She could have gone for the discharge option and overshot?" Winn said trying to pull up coverage over that area. "We have a satellite approaching the right orbit in three minutes."

"I'm redirecting one of the S&R choppers to that location." Vasquez said.

"Come on come on." Winn said tapping on his desk as he waited for the satellite to reach the correct orbit.

"The chopper will be there in fifteen minutes." Vasquez reported.

"Ninety seconds to visual." Winn reported as he picked up one of his action figures as Lena paced behind him. With nothing better to do he tried the radio again. "Supergirl do you read? …. Come on Supergirl."

"Her radio wouldn't have survived." Lena said gently. "It was already being stressed by the smaller currents."

"You're right." Winn said still gripping his toy before reporting. "Forty seconds." He then leaned forward put the action figure down and said. "Twenty seconds." After another pause he started typing. "Visual on screen in five, four, three, two, one." With that a screen flashed to life showing baron land. "Okay I am zooming in on the estimated location of the mini quake." He narrated whilst typing.

"There." Lena said seeing something in the image.

"Zooming in again. It will take a few seconds to process." Winn said. Eventually an image appeared showing a small burnt device. Surrounding it were charcoaled imprints of hands, arms and legs.

"It looks like she tried to smother it and as the charge flowed through her burnt the land." Max explained. "The sand turned to glass and she left a very lasting impression."

"But she's not there. She could still be alive." Winn said.

"Winn, if those imprints were made the way I think they were. She couldn't have survived." Max said more gently.

-00-

"Anything?" Lena asked as she approached Winn having spent twenty minutes on the balcony staring at the darkened city hoping Supergirl would land next to her.

"Nothing. The rescue teams can't find any trace of her."

"So she's dead? Disintegrated?" Lena asked sadly.

"Maybe not. What if she isn't? What if she is missing or taken?" Winn asked getting an idea and lowering his voice so Max couldn't hear. "What if it was just a big set up? What if General Lane or Cadmus swooped in and took her?"

"In the time between our last contact and your team arriving?" Lena asked.

"Yeah."

"If they were within a hundred miles the EMP would have taken out their vehicle. Unless we've entered Goldeneye territory." Lena said.

"What if we have? I mean they turned Henshaw into a cyborg." Winn said, his tone desperate.

"Good point. Can you look for helicopters or trucks in the area near where you think she was? I mean she was basically in the desert. There's no cover." Lena said.

"Yes I should." Winn said.

"Already ahead of you." Vasquez replied from another terminal as she pulled up all imagery that was available. "We have nothing over the actual area as you know, but we have good coverage from fifty miles out. It will take awhile to go through everything though.

-00-

"What happened to the lights?" Maggie asked groggily from her bed.

"I don't know. There was a power outage thirty minutes ago. Since then we have been on emergency lighting." Alex said as she held Maggie's hand.

"What caused the outage?"

"I don't know. The nurse said she heard a transformer blew at the local power plant."

"Shouldn't you figure it out? Could be aliens." Maggie said, her words slurred.

"Or it could just be a blown transformer." Alex said. "If it was important the DEO knows where I am."

"Yeah? What if-"

"Maggie, get some rest." Alex said as she looked to the window, feeling uneasy at the darkened city.

 **-TBC . . .**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	7. Chapter 7

_**A/N:**_ Thank you for the feedback. _SuperKara -_ sorry! The cliffhangers will end soon. _KaramelFan_ \- I am really busy at work at the moment so don't have much time to write. I will try to update daily, but making the chapters longer will be hard. The _Guest_ reviewer - it's not Barry. Answers will be coming in chapter 8.

* * *

 ** _-Two days later…_**

"Nothing." Winn said despondently. "I can't find her anywhere."

"I did tell you." Max said.

"There should be some trace." Winn said ignoring Max.

"I hate to agree with him, but those imprints were Supergirl's." Vasquez said. "Even her fingerprints were ingrained into the glass that was created from the heated sand."

"So she was there? Doesn't mean she's dead." Winn said running a hand through his hair. "Something should have survived. Like her cape. That's practically invincible right?"

"But not completely." Max said. "I've shown you the simulations. Even Lena agrees if Supergirl was near the device she would have been disintegrated. You've not even seen any dead coyotes. That's because all life close to the device would have disintegrated."

"But what if she wasn't close to it?"

"Her fingerprints were burnt into the glass that was made from the device melting the sand. There is no way she could walk away after that." Max said.

"She's Supergirl, she's escaped near death before." Winn argued.

"Then where is she? It has been two days." Max said. "You have scoured the desert and found no trace of her. You have used every sensor you have available and the only things you have found is a whole bunch of nothingness. It's time someone told Alex."

"We can't. Not until we know for certain."

"Let's just say you're right. She was magically transported into a spaceship and has been enjoying a solar system cruise for the last two days. She is still missing. Whatever happened between them, how do you think Alex is going to feel when she finds out you have been hiding this from her? Even if Alex hasn't noticed Supergirl is missing the media has. It isn't long before someone figures out what happened and runs the story. You really want Alex to find out that her sister is presumed dead from the ten o'clock news?"

-00-

"How are you feeling?" Alex asked when Maggie opened her eyes again.

"Like I was shot." Maggie complained. "Although I think you look worse than I feel. When was the last time you slept?"

"I don't know." Alex confessed.

"You should go get some rest. I'm not going anywhere." Maggie said.

"I'm fine." Alex said.

"No you're not. I'm kinda surprised Kara hasn't dragged you out of here."

"Yeah" Alex said, her tone flat.

"What's happened? Is Kara okay?" Maggie asked immediately picking up that something was wrong.

"We had a fight. I doubt she wants to see me right now."

"A fight? When?"

"The night you were brought in."

"That was days ago. Why didn't you say anything?"

"You've been kind of high for the last few days." Alex shrugged. "Then you started worrying about the power outage."

"What power outage?" Maggie asked confused.

"I rest my case." Alex responded.

"You should go see her or at least call." Maggie said.

"I can't. My phone is broken." Alex said as the door opened.

"Max?" Alex asked surprised.

"Alex." He said. "I'm sorry to interrupt."

"Then don't. Now is not a good time. You should leave." Alex said.

"I will but not before I have told you what's happened. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't important."

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked wearily.

"There is something you need to know, before you find out via the news."

"What have you done?"

"No matter what you think of me, it is not entirely my fault."

"Max, I don't have time for this." Alex said.

"Okay, I will speed it up. But perhaps we can go some where more private."

"Whatever it is you can say it in front of Maggie." Alex said taking hold of her girlfriend's hand.

"Okay. Short version is this. After Uncle Non tried to brainwash then brain pop the world General Lane gave me the Omegahedron and asked me to investigate it. I took it on hoping to solve the world's energy problems. The army had a different idea though and took over the programme to militarise it. One of the prototypes went unstable and was going to destroy America, possibly the world. I approached your sister and she tried to stop it."

"Tried?" Alex asked already sensing what he was going to say.

"Technically she did stop it, but it stopped her as well. It exploded, well discharged, that's what caused the blackouts. Nothing could survive, not even your sister. I'm sorry."

"No" Alex said vehemently. "If that was true J'onn would be telling me."

"How can he? He's in a coma." Max said confused.

"What?" Alex asked.

"He was severely injured in the attack."

"Attack? What attack?"

"The one five days ago. Parasites infecting a sub crew, nuclear missiles being launched at the city? You really don't know? I know Kara wanted to keep you shielded so you could focus on things here, but that is really really shielded. It was on every news network."

"We've not watched the news." Maggie said as Alex asked.

"Five days? When exactly?"

"The same night of the shooting" Max said before thinking out loud. "That's probably why she didn't make it in time and why she blamed herself."

"I blamed her." Alex stated before shaking her head. "Kara's not dead. I'd know." As the blood pumped loudly through her ears she asked. "Have you found her body?"

"No. Nothing could survive that blast. The DEO searched for over two days and found nothing. We are pretty sure she was incinerated." Max said trying to sound tactful.

"You're lying. This is sick even for you." Alex said.

"Winn offered to come and tell you but I thought you may shoot the messenger and I warrant shooting more than Winn." Max said but the blood was pumping so fast and loud round her body Alex didn't hear him.

"Alex, listen to me." Max said. "Kara wanted you to-"

"No, this isn't happening." Alex said finding it hard to breathe.

"Alex listen to me, you're having a panic attack." Max said calmly as he tried to get her to sit down. "Focus on breathing." He added as Maggie pressed the call button whilst helplessly watching from her bed.

"No. No. No." Alex repeated as her breathing became more ragged.

"What's happening?" A nurse asked running into the room and seeing Alex.

"Panic attack." Max said. "You need to sedate her."

"Perhaps you can leave the medical opinion to doctors." The nurse said as a doctor hurried to Alex's side.

"I have an MD." Max shot back as the doctor administered something. Moments later Alex slumped unconscious and was placed on a gurney and wheeled from the room.

"Where are you taking her?" Maggie demanded.

"Just to run some tests. We'll bring her back." The doctor assured her.

"Medically speaking she should be fine." Max said to Maggie who asked.

"She's really gone? Kara I mean."

"She is. For what it's worth, I really am sorry. Please let Alex know I'm there if she needs anything."

"Has anyone told her mom?" Maggie asked.

"No. But Major Lane was going to go via Midvale on her way back here." Max explained. "I know Alex wasn't speaking to Kara, but Kara died loving Alex. I think she needs to know."

"I'll make sure she does." Maggie said.

"One other thing. Before she left she gave me this and asked me to give it to Alex." He said handing Maggie the letter Kara had written Alex. "Please make sure she gets it."

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	8. Chapter 8

_**-A week later**_

"You staying here this time?" A familiar, but completely out of place, voice asked.

"Leslie?" Kara asked confused as she looked to her right and saw her nemesis sitting staring at her.

"You are dumber than I gave you credit for." Livewire commented.

"Huh?" Kara asked confused, unsure of where she was or why Leslie was there.

"How hard is it to get my name right? You killed Leslie, I am Livewire. Or would you prefer I call you Kara?" She asked handing Kara a cup with water.

"Kara?" The heroine asked.

"Or is there another identity you prefer to go by?" Leslie pressed.

"You know? How?" Kara asked confused, wondering if she was dreaming.

"Unlike the rest of the city, I'm not stupid. Your disguise is worse than useless. When I figured it out though, I had a little more respect for you knowing you had suffered at Cat's hand everyday. Does she know?"

"I don't think so. I'm not sure. She found out but I persuaded her she was wrong. But she's Cat, so who knows." Kara said before asking. "What are you going to do?"

"About?"

"My family. Now you know who I am."

"My beef is with you not your family. I'm sure they have suffered enough due to you being in their lives." Livewire said, her words stinging Kara.

"They have." Kara said sadly.

"You're secret is safe with me."

"Thank you."

"Doesn't mean I'm not going to kill you."

"You haven't yet." Kara said before flashes of what had happened came back to her. "In fact you saved me. I was on the device it was killing me and you pulled me off. You shielded me."

"Well you saved me." Leslie said handing Kara some more water. "Besides, there is only one person on this planet who has the right to electrocute you to death and that's me."

"So you saved me to kill me?" Supergirl asked.

"Something like that." Leslie said. "First I have to repay my debt. Then I can kill you."

"Good to know." Kara commented. "How did you even find me?"

"That device was throwing off so much power I could sense it from miles away. It is how they got me in the first place. I was drawn to it. When they had me hooked up to it my powers changed, they got stronger. I no longer need cables to travel. Anything that conducts, even land will do. When you flew off I travelled though the land until I reached you."

"Where are we anyway?"

"A hundred miles from the city." Leslie shrugged. "Deep underground. After I saved your ass I dragged to this old mine. I didn't want to be caught so I slung you in an old skid and brought you down here. Fortunately there were some old rations down here and the water hasn't killed you yet. Better yet good copper pipes were installed meaning I can get back to civilisation real quick at any time."

"Thank you for saving me."

"Don't get soppy. It's a temporary truce." Livewire said as Kara tried to sit up, gasping in pain as she did so.

"I'm not healing." Kara said looking down at her hands that had burns on.

"Yeah. Thought you were kinda invincible?" Leslie said.

"No powers. Must have burnt them out." Kara said as she tried and failed to use her heat vision.

"So I hold all the power? That kinda takes the fun out of it."

"Don't worry. They'll be back in a couple of days."

"Based on what?"

"They always come back in two or three days."

"Hate to break it to you but they've been gone for over a week."

"What?" Kara asked starting to panic.

"You've barely been conscious for over a week. Apart from managing water and a little food you have been completely out." Livewire said.

"A week?" Kara asked confused. "Why haven't my friends come?"

"Your friends think you are dead."

"Dead?" Kara asked.

"Been all over the press. Apparently Cat did like you more than I thought, it was a touching obituary."

"Why didn't you take me back to the DEO?"

"And get arrested? I don't think so." Livewire said. "When you are up to it you can go home, tell the world it was a mistake and go back to your old life. If that's what you want. Or you can stay here and stop hindering your family. Personally I don't care."

-00-

"Alex, we need to talk about the funeral." Eliza said gently.

"No. She's not dead." Alex said vehemently.

"I want that to be true as much as you, but the evidence-"

"There is no evidence." Alex said. "No one has found her body."

"Then where is she?" Eliza asked.

"I don't know. But I will find her." Alex responded. "I am not giving up on her."

"You think that is what I'm doing?" Eliza asked.

"It sure feels like it."

"I'm not giving up on Kara." Eliza replied.

"Really? Because you gave up on dad. We buried his empty casket, but he was alive all along. Maybe if we hadn't accepted what we were told he wouldn't have worked for Cadmus. I am not making that mistake with Kara." Alex said picking up her bike helmet.

"Where are you going?" Eliza asked.

"To look for Kara."

-00-

"Here." Livewire said throwing a bag at Kara a few days later when she returned to the cave.

"What is it?" Kara asked opening the bag.

"Clothes and money. Should get you back to National City. Especially with the car I got you."

"Is this all stolen?" Kara asked.

"I save your life, bring you gifts and you accuse me of stealing? You are starting to remind me of Cat."

"That wasn't a no." Kara said.

"Wow, your inner cynical Cat is really coming out today." Leslie said. "Look we are miles from anywhere and I am leaving. You can stay here and fend for yourself or you can accept what I have given you and go home or wherever it is you want to go. I don't care. All I know is my debt is repaid and next time we meet I owe you nothing." With that Livewire disappeared into one of the copper pipes.

-00-

"There was this one time when we went ice skating. Kara had never been before and she had major problems controlling herself on the ice." Alex said as she and Maggie sat on a bench in the park. "At one stage she sneezed and ended up propelling herself backwards straight over the railing into a hockey team. They all ended up in a heap on the ground. Only one guy, Sean, who had a huge crush on her, ended up lying on top of her. He was really embarrassed, couldn't look her in the eye. Kara, completely oblivious to the crush thought he was avoiding eye contact because he was angry at her. They awkwardly didn't speak for the next few minutes. Nor did they look at each other, even though they were trying to get up. They kept ending up more and more entangled on the ground. The rest of the team and I were laughing so hard." Alex recalled a faint smile crossing her face as she pictured the scene. "When they finally made it to their feet Sean tried to ask her out but kept fumbling his words. Kara was completely oblivious to the fact he was asking her out. I actually felt a little sorry for him. I watched so many guys flirt with Kara over the years and she never picked up on it. She had no idea Winn had a crush on her. Seriously how can she have super x-ray vision but be oblivious to everything in front of her?" Alex continued to reminisce, smiling at the memories.

From across the park Kara watched the scene unfold. Seeing Alex smile she assumed her sister was happy she was no longer in her life and gave Alex one last look before turning away and walking out of her former life.

"I miss her so much." Alex said as a tear rolled down her face.

"I know you do." Maggie said hugging her.

-00-

Knowing there was no longer a place for her in the city or her former life, Kara hurried to the train station and put her bag, which contained her Supergirl costume, in a locker. She then started to walk across the darkened city to the bus terminal.

Taking a short cut down an alley she didn't even register the other person until she slammed into his chest.

"Normally people are desperate to get away from me, how refreshing you run straight to me." He said.

As Kara backed away from him he roughly grabbed her arm. "No need to be unfriendly. Give me your money and I might forgive you." Doing what she always did she tried to fight her way out of the situation. But without her powers her timing was off and he easily blocked her punches before he caught her arm and roughly twisted it then turned her round and slammed her head into the wall.

"That was stupid." He growled in her ear as he pressed her into the wall.

Struggling to stay conscious Kara tried to remember Alex's training and stamped down on her attackers foot. The action surprising him enough to release her long enough to turn round and try to run. However, before she had taken a step he had recovered and tripped her up. As she landed on the ground he relentlessly kicked her ribs.

"Stop!" A man called as he entered the alley. The shout causing the attacker to grab Kara's purse and run off.

"Ma'am." The accidental hero called as he rushed to Kara's side. "Ma'am can you hear me?" He asked as he gently touched Kara's shoulder. The action causing her to flinch and scramble away from him.

"Easy. I'm a cop." He said taking out some ID. "You're safe now. I'm not going to hurt you." When he saw Kara relax he slowly approached her and asked. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm okay."

"No you're not." He said noticing the visible injuries. "We need to get you to hospital."

"No." Kara said backing away again. "No hospital."

"Okay, but let me help you."

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Thanks for the comments. _SuperKara -_ I'm glad you liked Livewire's appearance. _Cheam_ \- good guess!

* * *

"Sawyer, welcome back." Detective Higgs said as he saw Maggie approach.

"Higgs." Maggie nodded.

"You know after being shot in the line of duty you are entitled to months off work right?"

"I'm already bored." Maggie replied.

"Prepare to get more bored. You've been partnered with me for the foreseeable future. Captain says I have to tie you to the desk and make you do my paperwork. Not even allowed to ask you to go get me a coffee."

"Whereas, whilst I'm chained to my desk I can ask to be waited on hand and foot." Maggie shot back.

"You can ask anything Sawyer. Don't mean you're getting it. That said, if you get through this mound I'll buy you lunch." He said pointing to stacks of files on his desk.

"So what are you working on?"

"Nothing freaky I'm afraid, just a regular human scum bag. The Bayside Mugger."

"Catchy." Maggie commented.

"Damn press." Higgs complained. "Regardless of his name he is a nasty s.o.b. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up killing one of his vics soon. In the last week alone he has attacked and beaten nine people. Men and women. Only thing they had in common was they were out alone. Oh and the fact they were pummelled. Two nights ago we were lucky it was just one victim, or at least one we have heard of. But she took a real beating, worse than the others."

"Any reason why?"

"No idea. Perhaps she fought back, perhaps he wasn't impressed by his earnings."

"She didn't say?"

"No. She was way beyond skittish. Just wanted to get away, poor kid. Well a kid in comparison to me." He said. "A Kara, no Kiera, Kiera Davidson. Of course that clearly wasn't her real name, but it is the only one she gave. Well that's not true her first attempt was something like Kiera Danverson, but she settled on Kiera Davidson."

"Danverson?" Maggie asked. "Not Danvers?"

"She said Danverson. But as I said she was lying. Why? You looking for a Danvers? Wait, aren't you dating a Danvers?"

"Yeah, long story." Maggie said. "So what happened to this Kiera Davidson?"

"Beaten up for her last thirty dollars. I'm no doctor, but I've seen my fair share of assaults and my money would be on her having a few cracked ribs, but she refused to go to the hospital. She is clearly running from something or someone. But she wouldn't tell me so I had to let her go."

"Where did she go?"

"No idea. She said she was going to head north, start a new life. But I don't know how much of what she said was the truth. It was Miller who found her. Took quite a shine to her. He stayed with her afterwards. He may have got more info from her."

"Miller? The rookie?"

"That's the one."

"Mind if I talk to him?"

"Just as long as you don't leave the building. Hit the street and the Captain will have my rear."

"Don't worry, I'll just go to the break room." Maggie smiled.

-00-

"Detective Sawyer?" Miller said surprised when Maggie sat down opposite him in the canteen. "Something I can do for you?"

"Yeah. I need information. You rescued a woman from the Bayside Mugger?"

"Yes."

"I need to hear about it."

"Not much to tell. I was jogging past the alley when I heard someone shouting. When I looked down it I saw a guy kicking a woman. I shouted and he ran off. I would have pursued but she was in a bad way. As I told Detective Higgs I didn't see the guy."

"What about the woman?

"Really scared and sad."

"Injured?"

"Oh yeah."

"You sure?" Maggie pressed assuming if it were Kara she wouldn't have been injured.

"Absolutely, you could see the bruising and swelling. But she refused to go to hospital. I guess she was on the run, but she didn't want to talk about it. After she had talked to Higgs I took her for a coffee, tried to get her to open up a little. But nothing."

"Then what happened?"

"I gave her my NCPD hoodie and some cash. I know it is against the rules, but she looked so broken. I hoped if she got to where she was trying to go she'd have some family who could help her."

"Did she say where?"

"No, just that she wanted to start a new life."

"Was this her?" Maggie asked pulling out her cell phone and showing him a picture of Kara.

"I don't know. I mean she was blonde, but her face was so swollen and bruised I can't tell. But I'm edging towards them being different people."

"Okay, thanks." Maggie said walking off feeling like she was grasping at straws.

-00-

Kara sat, drenched from rain, opposite a diner. For the past two hours, as had happened the night before, she had sat staring longingly at the diner, starving and cold.

She watched as a man filled the bin before disappearing back into the diner. Looking round she checked the surroundings were clear before creeping through the darkness to the bins. Looking round one more she opened one bin, gasping in pain as she moved her ribs, and pulled out the expired buns that had just been thrown out. Closing the lid, trying to ignore the pain she turned only to find her self staring at a man's chest. Looking up she saw the man who had thrown the bums away moments earlier.

"What are you doing?" He asked.

"You...you threw it away."

"All the more reason not to eat it." The man said. "Come in here before you catch your death." When Kara didn't immediately move he said. "I'm not going to hurt you, but I will feed you."

Nervously Kara followed him into the diner where he led her through the kitchen to the deserted public area and told her to sit. As he turned he caught side of her bruised and swollen face.

"Jesus. What happened?"

"I was attacked. He stole everything."

"Round here?"

"No. National City." Kara said.

"Explains the NCPD logo on your top." He said. "Sit down and warm up, I'll make you some food."

"I don't have money." Kara confessed.

"You hear me ask for any?" She said gruffly before walking off.

Nervously Kara sat at a table and played with her hands until the man returned with some pancakes which he put down in front of her.

"Not nutritious, but fast and hot. Eat up." He instructed. He then watched as Kara ate the pancakes before asking. "So where are you trying to get to?"

"Here." Kara said causing him to laugh and explain.

"People don't come here. They pass through here."

"I don't have anywhere else to go. After I was attacked the officer who found me gave me some money. I used it to buy a bus ticket. I ended up here."

"When was that?"

"A couple of days ago."

"And since then you've been feeding from my bins."

"I don't have any money."

"What did you do in the city?" He asked.

"I was a reporter."

"Nothing useful in that. Can you cook?"

"No."

"Can you smile?" He asked. When Kara half smiled he commented. "Well that's a start."

-00-

"Alex." Maggie said surprised to see her girlfriend home. She then noticed the half empty bottle of scotch in front of her. "What are you doing back already?"

"Lucy sent me home. Said my head wasn't right."

"What happened?" Lucy asked.

"I redirected some assets to where Kara was last seen."

"Alex-"

"When someone shows me proof she is dead I will believe it. Until then I am not giving up."

"Alex, I get you don't want to give up on Kara, no one wants to lose their sister-"

"It's more than that. It's my fault. It is because of my selfishness. I need to apologise. Take back what I did. We weren't in a good place. It was my fault. I said some horrible things to her. I blamed her for what happened to you. I said she didn't help you because she wanted everyone else to be as miserable as her." Alex said, speaking so fast Maggie struggled to keep up.

"She will have known you didn't mean it." Maggie said subtly moving the bottle away from Alex. "Kara knew you better than anyone. She knows you can get emotive when you are stressed and upset. Even Max said she died loving you."

"Max just messes with people's minds." Alex said. "And I know she loved me. But I don't think she believed I loved her."

"That's not true."

"Really? She already thought I was abandoning her. Then I basically told her she wasn't part of the family. And then...then I accused her of deliberately not helping you to ruin my life. And the worse part is she was busy saving the world and she still found time to bring me clothes and food at the hospital." Alex said. "If she hadn't spent so much time worrying about me, maybe it wouldn't have happened."

"You know that isn't true."

"I should have been there for her. That's my job. But I wasn't. She trusted a Luthor to help her, but not me."

"She was trying to protect you." Maggie said. "If you have doubts. Why not read the letter she wrote you?"

"If I read that I am admitting she is dead and I refuse to do that. Everyone else may have given up on her, but I'm not." Alex said.

For a moment Maggie debated telling Alex about the woman who had been attacked, about how she believed there was a remote chance it could be Kara. But then she refused to offer Alex false hope. Instead she drew Alex into her arms and held her.

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** Thanks for the comments. _SuperKara -_ Kara has awhile to go before her powers come close to returning. The reunion will happen first. Thanks also to the various anonymous _guest_ reviewers - thank you for the support. There is a reason why I want Alex not to read the letter, but that won't be revealed for a few chapters.

* * *

"What you doing Sawyer?" Higgs asked. "I ask as you have been back nearly a week and my paperwork hasn't gone down. Seeing I thought the point of you being here was to do my paperwork, I'm a little confused."

"Cute. I am trying to help with the Bayside Mugger case."

"Let me guess, you think he's a vampire because he only attacks at night? Or a werewolf, which is why there have been no attacks for the last few days."

"Funny." Maggie shot back. "Based on the unnecessary violence and general psychotic behaviour I think he can only be human."

"Which means your network of informants are probably not going to be much help."

"More than one way to get intel." Maggie said. "Which is why I'm attempting to track down the mystery victim."

"Davidson?" Miller asked. "Why?"

"You said she was hiding something." Maggie said.

"I said she hiding from something or someone. She doesn't want to be found."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I can't find her."

"After what she went through I'm not sure we should go against her wishes. But if you are so bored that you want to search for a runaway I can find more paperwork for you to do." Higgs said.

"It's not boredom. It's trying to help someone."

"So what do you have?" Higgs asked sighing.

"If she really was heading out of the city and was as desolate as you believe, she could hitchhike, take a bus or take a train." Maggie said.

"After what happened, no way she'd hitch." Higgs said.

"Exactly what I thought. So that leaves train and bus. But she only had the money Miller gave her and that would go further on a bus."

"But the train station was closer to where he left her." Higgs countered.

"Yeah, only no one there remembers her. And the station has good CCTV and I couldn't see any trace of her."

"You've been reviewing all the CCTV? No wonder you haven't done my paperwork." Higgs said.

"So I'm pretty sure she went by bus. Only the CCTV is down there."

"We don't even know she left the city." Higgs reminded her. "She could have lied about that too."

"If you're right and she is running from someone or something, she's not going to stay in the city."

"So you think she bought a bus ticket, with cash? You can't trace that and the ticket staff aren't paid enough to care." Higgs pointed out. His tone making it obvious he felt the whole endeavour was a waste of time.

"Doesn't mean they didn't see something. A beaten woman in a NCPD hoodie has to stand out." Maggie said.

"Why are you pushing this so hard?" Higgs asked. "Don't give me any bull about helping the victim or catching the Bayside Mugger. I can tell there's more to it."

"My girlfriend's sister is missing, presumed dead."

"And you think the vic is her?"

"Maybe. I don't know. At first I thought I was grasping at straws. But I can't shake the feeling it could be her. And if there is any chance she is still alive I can't give up."

"Why this girl?"

"Kara is really bad at lying, really bad. She is the type of person to make up a name that actually revealed her true identity. You said she called herself Kiera Danverson before settling on Kiera Davidson?"

"So."

"Her boss used to call her Kiera not Kara. And Danverson? Pretty close to Danvers."

"Sound like wishful thinking. But say you're right. Why is she running?" Higgs asked.

"I don't know, but that's what I need to figure out."

"What happens if you find her and she doesn't want to be found?" Higgs pressed.

"I make sure she is safe and knows she can return home when she is ready." Maggie said.

"Miller gave her what fifty bucks?" Higgs asked after a few moments.

"Yes."

"And he was with her until eleven. So assuming she went to a bus terminal after that it narrows down what routes she could have taken. If this was the girl you know you think she would have held any money back?"

"No."

"Okay then, all we need to is figure out where fifty bucks can take you between eleven and say six."

"We?" Maggie asked.

"As temporary as it may be you're still my partner." Higgs said. "And something tells me you aren't going to drop this."

-00-

As Alex sat in her lounge looking at a picture of her and Kara a knock on her door startled her. Not bothering to grab her sidearm or check the identity of the visitor she opened the door only to be shocked at who was on the other side.

"J'onn?" Alex asked in disbelief. "You're okay?"

"I am." J'onn confirmed moments before Alex hugged him.

"How? When?"

"I woke up a couple of days ago. I would have come sooner, but my body was too weak." J'onn explained as he pulled out of the embrace.

"Should you be up?" Alex asked frowning.

"I'm still not at full strength, but I'm good enough." He assured her.

"I'm sorry." Alex said.

"For what?" He asked confused.

"Not being there for you."

"You had bigger concerns." J'onn said hugging her once more. "I'm sorry about Kara."

"You believe she's dead too?" Alex asked despondently as she pulled away.

"The evidence is strong. And if she is alive, where is she?"

"I don't know." Alex said. "But I'm not giving up."

"I know. But if she is alive you'll have a better chance of finding her if you are working at the DEO." J'onn pointed out.

"Where you can keep an eye on me?" Alex guessed.

"It would be a benefit." J'onn said.

"Well, I don't think I'm welcome there at the moment. I'm not sure Lucy wants me around. We had a disagreement."

"I heard. According to some, the whole city heard. Winn thought the argument might have been what woke me from my coma." He said. "But Lucy knows how upset you are. And from tomorrow I'm in charge again. So how about coming back?"

"Not if it means giving up searching for Kara." Alex said.

"There will be rules and restrictions. But we will work together on finding out what happened to her."

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** Thanks for the comments. _Superkara_ \- Lena will be making another appearance and having a heart to heart with Kara. _Anonymous guest_ \- I don't know if Livewire will make a return in the story.

* * *

"Good afternoon, what can I get you?" A waitress asked as Maggie took a seat in a diner.

"Coffee please and information." She said pulling out her phone.

"Information about what?" The waitress asked as she poured the coffee.

"A woman who may have come through here a couple of weeks ago." Maggie said loading up a picture. "She probably would have been bruised." She added turning the phone, which was displaying a picture of Kara, towards the waitress. "Do you recognize her?"

"Um no." The woman said, but Maggie immediately knew she was lying.

"Please, I'm a cop." Maggie said showing her badge. "Her family is desperate to find her."

"The same family who beat her?" The waitress asked.

"She told you her family beat her?"

"No. She said she was attacked by a stranger. But other than that she won't tell us anything about her past. In my experience that means she is running from an abusive boyfriend or spouse or father."

"She was attacked by the Bayside mugger." Maggie said.

"The who?"

"Doesn't matter. But the point is she is not running from her family."

"Sure doesn't feel that way." The waitress said.

"Do you know where she is?" Maggie pressed.

"I'm not even sure that is the same woman. Just leave your card and I'll think about it."

"Perhaps I can talk to your manager?" Maggie pressed. "Or whoever else was working when she came in."

"Everything okay here?" A man asked walking over to them.

"She's a cop." The waitress explained.

"I'm Detective Sawyer from the NCPD, I am trying to find this woman." She said showing him her phone.

"I'm Pete, the owner." The man said looking at the phone, his face also betraying recognition.

"I know she was here." Maggie said.

"Don't you think she has been through enough without you harassing her for a statement or whatever other official reason for your visit?"

"That's not why I'm here." Maggie said.

"So why are you trying to find her?" Pete asked.

"Her family is desperate to find her. They were told she died. But her sister won't give up and it's tearing her to pieces."

"Where do you fit into this?" He asked as another waitress appeared from the kitchen.

"Maggie?" Kara asked looking like a rabbit in headlights.

"Kara." Maggie said standing shocked at seeing Kara especially as she was covered in residual bruises. "You're really alive? We thought...it doesn't matter. Are you okay?"

"How...how did you find me?"

"Kiera Danverson, I mean Davidson. The name is a give away."

"I didn't think anyone would be looking." Kara shrugged. "Why are you here?"

"Can we talk?"

-00-

"Why are you here?" Kara asked again as they sat in a booth. Most of the occupants of the diner subtly watching with Pete hovering close by.

"To take you home. If you want to go. Else I'll leave you alone."

"I can't go back."

"Why?"

"I'm done with ruining Alex's life."

"You have never ruined Alex's life." Maggie countered. "The only thing that is ruining it right now is the fact she thinks you are dead."

"I saw you and Alex in the park. Alex looked happy. I don't want to ruin that."

"Alex has been a mess since she was told you had died." Maggie said trying to figure out what Kara had seen.

"She looked happy."

"She was recalling the time you and her went ice skating in the park and you crashed straight over the barriers into the hockey team." Maggie said, taking a guess at when Kara had seen them. "She was happy because she was remembering you. But apart from brief smiles when she talks about you she has been miserable ever since she was told you had died. She blames herself."

"Why?"

"Because of what she said to you."

"She was right. She should hate me. You should hate me. You were shot because of me."

"Firstly, Alex could never hate you. Secondly, I was shot because of a lowlife drug dealer."

"I could have stopped it."

"How? You weren't even there. You were off saving the city."

"Isn't that the point? I could have been with you instead. That's where Alex thought I should be."

"She was upset and not a day has gone by when she hasn't regretted what she said to you. Look I get that you are upset with Alex-"

"I'm not." Kara immediately interrupted.

"Then why stay away?"

"So she can have a better life. A normal life. She can never have that with me around."

"Have you ever considered she may want a non-normal life?" Maggie asked. "Alex is miserable, she needs you. She has refused to accept that you died. Every day she has been out searching for you. She is becoming more and more isolated. She and Eliza are barely speaking. She was suspended from work." Maggie half lied before continuing. "She is drinking heavily again. I can't help her. You can. She needs you. Please come back with me."

"I have a job here, I can't just leave." Kara said still convinced Alex's life would be better if she wasn't in it.

"Yes you can." Pete said as he walked over to the booth.

"I can't leave you in the lurch, especially after everything you've done for me."

"Kiera, or Kara, whoever you are, you are miserable here. You are not meant to be a waitress, I have a bin full of broken plates that is testament to that. If you want to see your family, go."

-00-

"Using the door too much?" Maggie asked jumping out of her skin when J'onn and Alex flew into the apartment.

"You said come home urgently. I thought you were in trouble." Alex said. "Are you?"

"I'm fine."

"So what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong." Maggie said. "It's good news." She added before nodding towards the bedroom from where Kara was emerging, wearing one of Alex's t-shirts.

"Kara?" Alex asked in disbelief.

"Alex." Kara said looking unsure.

"You're alive? I knew it." Alex said closing the distance between them and engulfing her in a hug. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Kara asked confused.

"Everything." Alex said holding Kara tighter. "I didn't mean what I said. I've missed you so much." When she heard her sister gasp she pulled back asking. "What's wrong?"

"My ribs." Kara confessed.

"How?" Alex asked noticing the fading bruises on her sister's face.

"I was attacked." Kara said. "I hurt them. It was days ago, maybe weeks. They're nearly better."

"Days? Your powers?"

"They're gone." Kara explained. "They've been gone for weeks. I don't think they're coming back."

"We need to get you to the DEO." Alex said taking her hand and leading her back to the door.

"No. No tests." Kara said. "Not right now."

"Okay. Whatever you want." Alex agreed easily moments before Kara noticed J'onn.

"You're better?" She asked.

"I am." He said before gently hugging her. "Even more so now I know you are okay."

"How are you alive?" Alex asked. "Everyone thought you had been incinerated."

"Livewire saved me."

-00-

"Why didn't you come back?" Alex asked as she and Kara sat on the couch having been left alone by J'onn and Maggie.

"I spent the first week unconscious." Kara said. "Then it was another few days before I had enough strength to move. After that Livewire gave me a car. I'm pretty sure it was stolen, but it was the only way to get back here so I accepted it."

"What happened then? Why didn't you come back?"

"I did. I went to the hospital but Maggie had already been discharged. Then I came here, but you were out. I went to the park to kill time and I saw you and Maggie. Only you looked happy. So I thought you were better without me."

"No Kara. I would never be better without you and you do not get to walk out on our family."

"But it's not is it? Ours I mean, it's yours. You said so yourself." Kara said recalling the argument after raising her suspicions over Jeremiah.

"Kara I never meant what I said then and I didn't mean what I said at the hospital. I was scared and I shouldn't have spoken. I'm so sorry."

"Don't be, you were right."

"No I wasn't." Alex said.

"Yes you were. I'm an outsider. An alien. All I have done is complicate your life. The one time you needed me I wasn't there."

"Kara, you have always been there when I needed you. Even after everything I said to you when Maggie was shot, despite the fact you were busy trying to fix Max's screw ups, you took the time to bring me food and clothes and I didn't even acknowledge your existence. The only time you have not been there for me when I really needed you was these last few weeks, when everyone was convinced you were dead. Every other time in my life when I have needed you, you were there. And that is because you are my sister. You will always be my sister. Even when I am stupid and selfish and angry." Alex said. "Even when I haven't deserved to have you as a sister you have been there for me. I'm the only one who has let the family down."

"That's not true." Kara said. "You have sacrificed everything for me. I can never repay that."

"Family isn't about repaying debts. It's about being there and that is something I have failed with over the last year. I'm sorry." Alex said as Kara's eyes drifted to the coffee table and saw a familiar object.

"Is that the letter I wrote you?"

"Yes."

"It looks unopened."

"It is."

"Why?" Kara asked looking hurt, assuming Alex hadn't read it as she didn't want to hear what Kara had to say.

"No Kara, it's not what you think." Alex said assuming Kara thought it was unopened because Alex was still angry at her. "It is because if I opened it, I was admitting you weren't coming back. And I didn't want that." Alex said. "Everyone kept telling me you were dead, but I couldn't, wouldn't believe it. If I opened the letter it was like I was giving up on you. But that's the thing Kara, I will never give up on you. And I am so sorry that I drove you away."

"You didn't."

"You have been in hiding for weeks." Alex pointed out.

"I thought you were happier without me. I thought if I was out of your life you could have a normal life."

"Kara, there's no such thing as a normal life." Alex said. "What I do know is my life is not complete without you. I also know that I don't deserve you. I'm sorry for everything."

"You have nothing to be sorry for." Kara said as they heard a soft thud from the kitchen. Turning they saw Eliza and J'onn who had just flown through the window.

"Kara?" Eliza asked in disbelief.

"Eliza?" Kara returned as she stood looking nervous.

"Where have you been? I thought I'd lost you." Eliza said. "What happened? You're hurt. How?"

"I lost my powers. I think they may be gone for good." Kara said as she walked towards her foster mother.

"You'll be okay." Eliza assured Kara as she gently hugged her.

Looking over Kara's head Eliza saw Alex hovering in the background and extended her arm towards her eldest. When Alex didn't immediately move, Eliza mouthed.

"Please." The action causing Alex to stride forward and join the hug.

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** Thanks for the comments. I'm glad you liked the reunion. The sisters still have a way to go to recover their relationship and there will be more scenes between them before the story ends. Max will also be back.

* * *

"Kara?" Winn exclaimed as he saw his friend enter the DEO flanked by Alex, J'onn and Eliza. "You're alive?" He added before hugging her.

"Careful." Alex warned immediately causing Winn to pull back and look at Kara.

"Whoa, you look awful. I mean you're hurt. Your powers?"

"Gone." Kara said simply, all too aware that every Agent was looking at her.

"So what was it? Who was it? Max, Cadmus, Lane?" Winn asked.

"What was what?" Kara asked.

"Who took you. And who took your powers." Winn clarified.

"No one took me. Not really. Leslie saved me. And then hid us in a mine."

"Leslie? As in your nemesis Leslie Willis?" Winn asked.

"Perhaps you can save the interrogation for later?" Alex suggested. "We need to run some tests and get Kara under the lamps."

"Right. Sorry." Winn said before hugging Kara again. "I've missed you."

-00-

As Alex hooked Kara up to a machine she asked. "You doing okay?"

"Yeah. I just didn't think I'd ever be back here." Kara confessed.

"Well I'm glad you are." Alex said squeezing her hand.

"Me too." Kara said before saying. "You should talk to Eliza."

"Why?"

"Because you are fighting."

"No we're not." Alex lied.

"You didn't speak to each other the entire ride over. You won't even look at each other. I grew up having to spot the signs of an Alex-Eliza fight, so I know you are fighting. It's because of me isn't it? It's my fault."

"It's not your fault. It's mine. I said things I shouldn't have. Which is recurrent theme in my life right now. Mom was hurting and I made her feel worse. I doubt she wants to see me right now." Alex said.

"You're her daughter. Of course she wants to see you." Kara argued.

"Not this time." Alex said before noticing Kara was unhooking herself from the machine. "What are you doing?"

"I am not doing these tests until you and Eliza start talking."

"Kara, now is not the time to be stubborn." Alex said. But as Kara stood Alex conceded. "Fine. Once I have started the scan I will talk to mom."

"You promise?" Kara asked.

"I promise." Alex said. "So can I start hooking you up, again?"

"Okay." Kara said sitting back down. As Alex restarted setting up the machines Kara said. "Maggie said you'd been suspended."

"Yeah, Lucy and I had a fight. I may have said some things….some very-"

"Passionate things." A familiar voice said as a new person entered the room. "I always thought super stubbornness was a Kryptonian thing, turns out it is a Danvers thing. Alex never gave up on you. I wish Lois had as much faith in me as Alex has in you."

Seeing her friend Kara smiled and greeted. "Lucy."

"Kara. I can't believe it." Lucy said before apologising. "I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Kara asked.

"Ignoring the fact this is my father's fault. I assumed you were dead. I called off the search." Lucy explained.

"You had good reason to." Kara said. "I mean I should be dead. And then Leslie took us somewhere she knew we wouldn't be found. There was no way to know I was alive."

"I still shouldn't have given up. I'm sorry." Lucy said before looking at Alex. "And I'm sorry for not listening to you."

"You were doing your job." Alex said before taking Kara's hand and saying. "The important thing is she is back now."

"But no powers?" Lucy asked.

"No." Kara agreed.

"But we will figure out why and we'll figure out how to get them back." Alex promised.

"I didn't mean to interrupt the testing. I just really wanted to see you." Lucy said to Kara. "Anyway, I need to go finish some paperwork so I'll see you you later. If you need anything let me know."

-00-

"Eliza." J'onn said as he walked up to her in the observation room where Eliza was looking into the adjacent room where Kara was being tested.

"J'onn." She acknowledged before turning attention back to Kara.

"What are you doing in here?" J'onn asked.

"Just observing."

"I mean why aren't you with Kara or helping Alex?"

"Guilt." Eliza said. "I gave up. I don't even know how to start making that up to Kara."

"Everyone gave up except Alex." J'onn reminded her.

"And Maggie." Eliza pointed out.

"I think that is down to Alex." J'onn pointed out. "Kara doesn't blame any of us for assuming she was dead."

"Doesn't stop me blaming myself." Eliza said.

"True, but I still don't see why you are not helping Alex." J'onn confessed.

"I think I am the last person she wants to spend time with. Alex was right, I give up too easily. If I hadn't accepted what we were told about Jeremiah maybe we could have saved him. I could have saved Alex all that pain. And then despite seeing first hand that people survive when it looks like it is impossible I gave up on Kara being alive. I ignored Alex who refused to give up. Instead of helping her I suggested she was crazy. She must resent me."

"I don't." Alex said walking up to J'onn and Eliza. "And I'm sorry for what I said to you. I don't hold you responsible for what happened to dad. I didn't mean what I said. And I'm sorry for driving you away."

"You didn't." Eliza said as J'onn silently left the room. "As hard as you try you could never drive me away."

"But you've been keeping your distance. You haven't even called." Alex said.

"Because every time I did we fought and I didn't want to fight with you. If I thought I could have helped you I would have been there, but I just seemed to make you more angry. I thought you needed space." Eliza said. "I hoped when you were ready you'd come back to me."

"I'm sorry." Alex said hugging her mother.

-00-

"How are you feeling Sweetie?" Eliza asked as she and Alex entered the room Kara was in.

"The same." Kara said before asking. "So are you two back to normal?"

"Normal for us." Alex said.

"You promise?" Kara asked.

"We promise." Eliza said hugging Kara.

"Did the tests show anything?" Kara asked.

"Not really. All your cells look normal. They are showing no changes. Which is good." Alex said.

"Then why don't I have powers anymore?"

"It is only a hypothesis but I think the explosion completely drained your cells. After that you were in a cave for two weeks, with no access to sunlight. There was no way for your cells to recharge."

"But I've been out of the caves for weeks." Kara said sadly.

"Do you remember the first time you lost your powers?" Alex asked. "It wasn't just recharging, it was also adrenaline. Due to the amount of time you were in the dark, maybe you need a bigger rush to jumpstart them."

"Whatever it is you need, we'll figure it out. Together." Eliza said.

-00-

"Kara, I don't even know where or how to start making it up to you." Alex said that evening as the pair sat on Alex's couch. "I am so sorry for what I said."

"You were upset." Kara said.

"That's no excuse."

"After what I said to you when I was under the influence of Red-K it wasn't so bad." Kara shrugged.

"Yes it was. And I wasn't on drugs, which makes it far worse. But I will make it up to you. Starting with finding a way to get your powers back."

"And as much as I appreciate that there's no rush. I've survived this long. I can survive longer." Kara said.

"I know you hate being without powers." Alex said. "And right now you are my priority." She added pulling Kara into a hug.

"Don't neglect Maggie. I mean I'm back because of her." Kara reminded her sister, her voice betraying her tiredness.

"How did she find you anyway?" Alex asked.

"Apparently I'm not very good with fake names." Kara said, confusing Alex. Before Alex could press further though Kara had fallen to sleep.

-00-

"How is she?" Maggie asked when she returned home and saw Kara fast asleep on Alex.

"I don't know. Scared and exhausted." Alex replied.

"And you?" Maggie asked knowing Alex held herself responsible.

"Fine." Alex lied.

"Where's your mom?"

"At the DEO, seeing if she can figure out why Kara's powers haven't returned." Alex then paused before asking. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?"

"That you knew Kara was alive."

"Because I didn't know." Maggie said. "On my first day back I was helping with some paperwork on a case. The victim sounded a little like Kara. But there was no proof it was her-"

"Victim?" Alex interupted eyes wide.

"She was attacked by the Bayside Mugger. That's when she hurt her ribs. She didn't tell you?"

"No, she's not really talked about anything that happened after the device exploded." Alex said sadly as she started to realise just how much she had let Kara down and just how big a gap had grown between them.

"She probably needs time to process." Maggie suggested.

"I still don't understand why you didn't tell me." Alex said.

"The officer who rescued her couldn't even ID her from the photo I showed him. I wasn't going to give you false hope so I investigated in the background. The first time I got proof she was alive was today." Maggie explained waiting for Alex to lose her temper. Instead Alex silently looked at down at Kara before looking back at her girlfriend and saying.

"Thank you for not giving up and bringing her home."

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Thanks for the feedback. _Superkara_ , Kara's powers won't be returning quickly. But there will be plenty more sister scenes.

* * *

"I need information." Alex said marching into Max's office.

"Alex?" Max asked looking up from his desk. "This is a surprise. How are you?"

"I need information." Alex repeated.

"On what?"

"Your version of the Omegahedron. What was it designed to do?"

"Same as the Kryptonian version, provide power. Why?" He asked leaning back on his chair locking his hands behind his head.

"Did you modify it to make it a threat to Kryptonians or neutralise them?" Alex pressed.

"No. Why?" Max asked leaning forward. "What's happened?"

"Now is not the time to mess with me." Alex said.

"If it was to do with Superman he wouldn't be on the news right now helping Earthquake victims in the Pacific. So that means you've found your sister. She's alive." Max deduced. "But something's not right and you think it was the device. I assure you my version of it was just a power source. But a mighty big one. Getting zapped with that much power could have done anything."

"If I find out you are lying you will wish that the Daxamites conquered the Earth and enslaved you because the misery and suffering they would have inflicted on you during your lifetime is nothing compared to what I will do to you."

"I've missed our verbal sparring matches and unwarranted threats." Max said before turning serious. "Alex, I promise you all I did was make a power source. But Lane's men had it for awhile. Who knows what they did."

-00-

"Where's Kara?" Alex asked panicking when she entered the infirmary and saw it was empty.

"She went home." J'onn said.

"By herself?"

"No. Your mother took her back. Where have you been?"

"To see Max."

"You think the reason Kara's powers aren't coming back has something to do with the device?" J'onn guessed.

"It crossed my mind. Neither Kara or her cousin have ever been without powers this long."

"You said all the tests came back normal." J'onn reminded her.

"They did, but I can't rule out the possibility that this was deliberate."

"Did Max say anything?" Lucy asked.

"No. I think he got more out of me than I did from him. He swears the device was designed as a replica of the Kryptonian version. But he did point out that whilst it was in military hands anything could have happened."

"I may be able to help with that." Lucy said. "After I took over here I put a recommendation into the President that a full investigation should be conducted into my father's team and their actions. She has just authorised it and offered me the chance to lead the investigation."

"Doesn't that put you in a difficult personal positional?" J'onn asked sympathetically.

"That's why she offered me the role rather than order it. But I want to lead the investigation, unless you want me here."

"Are you sure you want to investigate your father?" J'onn asked.

"I won't lie. I wish there wasn't a need to investigate him. But there is. He nearly destroyed the country and killed Kara. And if what has happened now is due to his actions I want to know, I need to know."

-00-

"Hey." Alex said as she entered her apartment and saw Eliza and Kara sitting in her living room. "How come you left the DEO?"

"No one there can do anything for me." Kara said. "And I was feeling like a lab rat. Plus everyone was watching me."

"But you're okay?" Alex asked.

"I guess." Kara said. "I'm kind of getting use to not having powers."

"The marks on your hands tell a different story." Eliza said seeing some fading burn marks.

"Turns out hot plates burn hands. I think Pete thought I was mentally deficient the way I kept picking up hot plates and burning myself."

"Who's Pete?" Eliza asked confused.

"He owned the diner. He gave me a job and room."

"A job doing what?" Alex asked.

"Waitressing." Kara said.

"How?" Alex asked.

"Kind of a long story. But he took pity on me and offered me a job in the kitchen. But I pointed out I couldn't cook so he gave me a job as a waitress. Only I wasn't exactly good at being a waitress. I guess I have become too reliant on my powers. Without them I feel slow and clumsy and I forget things like oven mitts. I broke loads of plates. I think I owe him in breakages more than I'd make in months."

"I'm sure you weren't that bad." Eliza smiled.

"Yeah, I was worse. Waitressing is not for me. I should stick to journalism."

"So what are you going to do now?" Alex asked. "I mean have you thought about how you are going to explain your absence to Cat and Snapper? Or Lena for that matter?"

"Actually I was thinking I might go stay in Midvale for a while." Kara said. The comment causing Eliza to glance at Alex and she immediately saw the guilt and sadness in her eldest's eyes. When Eliza didn't immediately respond Kara added trying to hide the hurt in her voice. "If it is too much trouble I don't have to."

"You are welcome home anytime you want. You know that." Eliza said gently pulled Kara into a hug. "But I was actually hoping to stay in National City for a while."

"You are? Why?" Kara asked.

"It'd be nice to spend time with both my daughters." Eliza said. "How about I stay down here for a week or so and then after that we can go back to Midvale together, if you still want that?"

-00-

"Do you want to go back to your place?" Alex asked later that day after Eliza had gone out to give her daughters space.

"What place?"

"Your apartment." Alex clarified.

"Didn't you get rid of it?" Kara asked.

"No." Alex said. "I couldn't. So it's still there with all your stuff. After what you said about going back to Midvale I assumed you'd prefer to get away from me so if-"

"That's not why I wanted to go to Midvale." Kara said. "I don't want to go to Midvale to get away from you."

"Then why?"

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I feel so useless, so scared." Kara said hugging her knees. "I don't know but I guess Midvale feels safer. No one there has any expectations of me. Here I am meant to be Supergirl, there I'm not. Here people are used to me using my powers, there they're not. Without my powers I don't know where I fit or what I can do."

"You were Kara Danvers for a lot longer than you were Supergirl." Alex reminded her. "And Kara Zor-El never had powers."

"I know. But I always had powers on Earth. And we both know I used them more that I should as Kara."

"Yes you did. I did like warm pizza." Alex said. "But I promise you we will get your powers working again."

"You really didn't get rid of my apartment?" Kara asked changing topics not wanting to dwell on her lack of powers.

"Of course not." Alex said.

"In which case, I should go."

"Why?" Alex asked hating the feeling that Kara was distancing herself.

"I don't want to intrude. I'm sure Maggie wants her girlfriend back."

"Maggie understands how important you are to me. That is why she kept searching when everyone was telling us you were dead. The last thing she would want to do is drive you away." Alex said before taking hold of Kara's hand and saying. "I know how vulnerable you feel when you don't have powers and I know you don't like being alone when you don't have powers. So do you really want to go?" Alex asked.

"No." Kara confessed quietly.

"You can stay here as long as you want. Or we can both stay at your apartment. Whatever you want we'll do." Alex said.

"You mean it?" Kara asked, the doubt evident in her voice.

"Of course I do." Alex smiled. "So what do you want?"

"A hug?" Kara asked. The request causing Alex to gently wrap her arms around her sister.

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Thanks _Superkara_ and _Cheam_. To the _guest reviewer_ , Lena is making a comeback in this chapter.

* * *

"I said no disturbances." Lena said without looking up from her desk.

"I'm sorry." A familiar and unexpected voice said.

"Kara?" Lena asked surprised as her head shot up.

"Hey." Kara smiled. "Should I go?"

"Of course not." Lena said standing and walking over to Kara, carefully watching her friend as she did so. "You know I am always happy to see you."

"I'm sorry I've not been around-" Kara started only to find herself engulfed in a hug.

"How are you here? I thought you were dead. I'm so happy you are alive." Lena said as she held onto her friend.

"You thought I was dead?" Kara asked pulling out of the hug.

"Of course I did. The device should have incinerated you." Lena said still in shock.

"You know?" Kara asked eyes wide.

"That you're Supergirl? Yes."

"How? When?" Kara asked confused.

"I was pretty sure, but there was always doubt. But when I was at the DEO there were so many slips it became undeniable. Then of course you and Supergirl disappeared at the same time."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you." Kara said. "Are you mad at me?"

"I won't lie. When I was certain you were Supergirl I felt betrayed, maybe even a little angry. Actually really angry. But you had just sacrificed yourself to save everyone so it was a little hard to stay mad. Right now I'm just so happy you are alive. But I don't understand how." Lena said.

"Livewire pulled me off the device and then shielded me. If it weren't for her I would be dead."

"But where have you been?" Lena asked.

"For the first week or so I was down an old mine shaft, mainly unconscious. After that I ended up in Batesville."

"Please tell me that has nothing to do with Norman Bates or the motel?"

"No." Kara smiled. "It's just a small town a long way away from here. Full of very nice people."

"What were you doing there?"

"Waitressing." Kara said.

"Now I'm really confused." Lena said leading Kara to the couch and sitting down. As they sat Lena noticed the strange way Kara was moving and asked. "Are you hurt?"

"Broken ribs."

"How? Your powers?" Lena asked.

"They've been gone since I was nearly killed by the device."

"The device stripped you of your powers?" Lena asked.

"No. Alex thinks I just drained my cells. If so they should come back. Until then I get to experience living like a human."

"It's not that bad." Lena said.

"It is if you have had powers." Kara said. "But Alex has introduced me to painkillers which at least makes my ribs not so bad."

"Is there anything I can do?"

"Do you have a machine that can induce heart attacks?"

"No. Should I? Why?" Lena asked confused.

"It doesn't matter."

-00-

"You look like crap." Snapper commented as he looked up from his paperwork at the figure in his doorway. "What happened?"

"I was attacked a few weeks ago."

"Too much to call in sick?"

"I was hurt pretty badly." Kara said before adding. "Bayside Mugger."

"What, you tried to get an exclusive?" He asked, although his eyes betrayed his concern.

"No, just wrong place, wrong time."

"Whilst I appreciate the dedication, should you be up?"

"I'm okay." Kara said.

"Keep telling yourself that." Snapper said not convinced. Noticing a folder in her hand he asked. "You brought me a story or is this an unwanted social call?"

"I have a story." Kara said stepping forward and handing Snapper a folder. As she reached out she winced in pain as she stretched her ribs.

As Snapper took it from her he stared at her before looking down at the folder. As he read the contents he commented. "'Kindness of Small Town America Lives On' not the story I was expecting. I thought it would be a Supergirl piece."

"Everything has already been written." Kara said.

"Except what really happened to her." Snapper pointed out as he started scribbling over the document. "You forget how to type?" He asked picking up an unusually high number of errors. After a few minutes he added. "For god's sake sit down before you fall down and damage my furniture."

"What is the meaning of this? I specifically said we were not running the scandal piece on B-" Cat started before noticing Kara. "Kara? You're alive?" She greeted before her shock gave way and she noticed Kara's paleness, the fading bruises and the awkward way Kara held herself. "You're hurt?"

"The girl wonder ignored the golden rule of not becoming the news and took on the Bayside Mugger and lost. Didn't even get a quote." Snapper summarised as Kara stood and faced Cat who demanded.

"Why the hell didn't you let us know that you were alive?"

"Um, well. I was kind of in a coma for a while." Kara said merging facts from different events.

"Should you be here?" Cat asked concerned.

"I'm okay."

"You don't look it." Cat pressed before Snapper pointed out.

"As touching as this is I have work to do. Perhaps you can reunite elsewhere. Take this and make the corrections." He said holding out Kara's story, only for Cat to take it off him.

-00-

"What really happened?" Cat asked as Kara sat down in her office.

"I've told you."

"The Bayside Mugger didn't emerge until after Supergirl apparently died." Cat pointed out. "You had already been missing for nearly two weeks by then."

"I really was attacked by him." Kara said.

"Hmm. So where have you been?"

"Batesville. It's a small town."

"Why?"

"I thought everyone would be better without me."

"Who exactly?" Cat pressed.

"Everyone, but especially Alex."

"Your sister adores you. Why would you think she would be better with out you?"

"She kind of told me."

"I've seen how she is with you. She won't have meant it."

"Our family is complicated."

"Every family is complicated." Cat reminded her. "You have the advantage that your mother isn't a witch." She then paused before asking as she opened the folder containing Kara's article. "So what story did you give Snapper? Ah, an expose." Cat commented as she read the article adding her own corrections to Snapper's. After several minutes she shut the folder and gave it back to Kara commenting. "It's not terrible. Although, based on the mistakes, I am questioning if you were high on painkillers when you wrote it. I assume that explains your whereabouts?"

"It does."

"If you ask me it sounds like you gave up." Cat said. "You have people here who love you, yet you ran away. You've been in a downward spiral since your boyfriend left. You need to get your head back in the game. You are better than this Kara."

"Not right now. I am kind of useless right now." Kara said. "I can barely move. I'm not good with pain. I can barely help myself let alone anyone else."

"Yet you managed a story, a little soppy for my taste, but it is a reasonable puff piece." Cat said. "You may be down, but you are not out. The important thing is you believe that. Out of curiosity what made you come back?"

"My sister's girlfriend found me. Told me Alex needed me."

"So you sacrificed your new found freedom and job and returned? How noble."

"Not really. I'm pretty sure I was about to be fired." Kara said trying to deflect Cat's attention.

"How is Alex now?" Cat asked.

"Okay. I guess."

"You guess?" Cat asked.

"Things are different between us. We've drifted."

"I'm sure you can drift back to where you were, if that is what you both want."

-00-

As Kara walked towards the elevators she saw Alex lingering.

"What are you doing here?" Kara asked.

"Waiting for you."

"Why?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay and take you out for celebratory chicken wings."

"What if I was fired?"

"Consolation chicken wings?" Alex suggested.

"What about Maggie?"

"At work. But she'll be done by seven and suggested we all go catch a movie, if you'd like that?"

"Sure." Kara said before asking. "Where's Eliza?"

"Working with J'onn on something. So food?"

"Sure." Kara said entering the elevators.

"So are you fired?" Alex asked as the doors shut behind them.

-00-

As the trio walked back from the movie theatre that evening, Alex started to lead them down an alley. But before Kara stepped foot into it she froze.

Immediately putting the pieces together Maggie put a comforting hand on her back and said. "It's okay, you're safe."

"What's going on?" Alex asked confused. Her confusion quickly turning to concern when she saw Kara's pale face.

"This is where Kara was attacked." Maggie said as Kara stood silently.

"Kara, it's okay. You're safe." Alex said hugging her, silently vowing to catch the attacker and ensure he couldn't hurt Kara or anyone else ever again.

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N:** Thank for the comments. _Superkara:_ I'm glad you are still enjoying it. I am not sure the trio will all occur in the same chapter again in this story, but they will probably all be making further appearances _._ _Cheam_. Thanks - I'm glad you liked the scene.

* * *

"How are you feeling?" Alex asked as Kara stumbled into the kitchen the next morning.

"Okay." Kara said before looking down and saying. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Alex asked.

"Last night.

"Why are you apologising?" Alex asked.

"I ruined the evening because I am weak and pathetic."

"Kara, powers or not you are neither weak or pathetic." Alex said taking hold of Kara's hand.

"I had a panic attack from just walking into an alley."

"An alley where you were attacked." Alex said. "I should never have taken the short cut."

"It wasn't your fault." Kara countered before Alex asked.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Kara asked confused.

"That you had been attacked."

"I figured you already knew." Kara replied.

"Maggie told me. But that's not the point. You should have told me." Alex said.

"I couldn't. I knew you'd blame yourself." Kara said.

"Of course I would. I am meant to protect you."

"You don't always have to protect me."

"Yes I do. You're my little sister." Alex said. "I am always going to try to protect you. And if you'll let me I will always be there for you."

"That behaviour has already cost you too much. I'm not going to risk coming between you and Maggie."

"Maggie understands that you need me right now." Alex said. "And I know I have been bad at it recently and you probably don't believe it anymore, but I will always be there for you. I just hope that one day you can learn to trust me again."

"I do trust you." Kara said looking straight at Alex.

"Then why did you stop telling me things?" Alex asked.

"I didn't."

"I found out you thought I was abandoning you through a conversation you had with a Martian." Alex reminded her.

"A Martian I thought was you." Kara pointed out, but as Alex kept staring at her she said. "I just don't want to get in the way. I'd prefer to have a little time with you rather than no time because you and Maggie are fed up with me."

"That's not going to happen." Alex promised hugging Kara.

-00-

"So more tests?" Kara asked as she sat down in the DEO lab a couple of hours later..

"Just a few." Alex confirmed as Eliza smiled reassuringly at her.

"And when these fail to tell us anything new?" Kara asked.

"We think we may have a way to accelerate the process of recharging your cells." Eliza said.

"Please tell me you are not going to jump of a building." Kara said looking at Alex.

"No." Alex smiled. "Well not yet."

"Alex no." Kara said.

"She's joking." Eliza said sternly as she looked at her eldest.

"Not funny." Kara complained before asking. "So what's your idea?"

"We could try giving you a blood transfusion. If we give you your cousin's blood, which will contain charged cells, maybe we can kickstart your powers." Alex said.

"Won't that weaken Kal?"

"Only for a short while. And he is happy to do it." Eliza said.

"I'm not happy to take that risk." Kara said. "I was sent here to protect Kal not steal his blood."

"Technically he is donating blood not letting you steal it." Alex pointed out.

"No. I won't risk him." Kara said stubbornly.

"No one will force you to do something you don't want to do, but please just think about it." Eliza said before hugging Kara.

"Fine, I will think about it." Kara conceded before saying. "But there may be another option."

"What's that?" Alex asked.

"Lena."

"As in Luthor?" Alex asked.

"Also known as my friend. She's smart. Knows a lot about aliens and has a huge lab with cool toys at her disposal."

"So does Max." Alex reminded her not liking the idea. "Besides there would be a huge risk of her figuring out you are Supergirl."

"Technically there is zero risk of that happening." Kara said.

"What does that mean?" Eliza asked as Alex guessed.

"You told her?"

"No. She figured it out when she was helping with the Omegahedron."

"How did she take it?" Alex asked.

"She was pretty mad apparently. But thinking I had just died help her get over it. She's fine now." Kara said. Seeing Eliza and Alex exchange worried looks she added. "I know you don't trust her because of her family. But Lena is my friend and I trust her."

"I know you do." Eliza said.

"So we could ask her for help?" Kara repeated.

"We could." Alex agreed knowing it was more important to trust her sister than her own paranoia.

"Why not discuss this over dinner tonight?" Eliza suggested. "In the mean time I promised J'onn I would help with one of the prisoners here. So I will see you later." She added hugging Kara once more before leaving.

"When did Eliza start working here?" Kara asked confused.

"No idea. But she seems to enjoy it."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Of course. Why?"

"Well she could enjoy it so much she comes down and works here permanently. You could end up sharing a lab."

"I'm sure it is only temporary." Alex said trying to not look stressed.

"How about we get some lunch?" Kara suggested.

"Does that mean you're hungry?" Alex asked hoping an increased appetite might be a sign that Kara's powers were coming back.

"No. But you like to stress eat when Eliza is around." Kara smiled.

-00-

As Kara and Alex walked down the corridor they passed a prisoner being led to the confinement areal. Wanting Kara to be safe Alex quickly guided her to a small office.

"You know he was chained and had four guards?" Kara asked.

"I know. But there is no point in taking any chances." Alex said. "Especially with mom just round the corner."

"So are we hiding in here for long?" Kara asked.

"We'll just give them a minute to get him secured." Alex said moments before they heard shouts. "Stand back." Alex said just as the door flew open hitting Alex and sending her to the ground. Kara hurried to her fallen sister as the fight between the prisoner and the guards continued just outside the room. As Kara reached her sister Alex ordered whilst trying to get to her feet. "Get back."

Before Kara had a chance to move she saw a small metal object roll into the room. Without hesitation Kara threw herself on it moments before it exploded.

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. The next chapter will be up tomorrow, but I have a long flight and depending on how late it arrives the update could be later than normal.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N:** Thanks for the comments. _Superkara_ : You are the third person in under a day to ask me that, all for different reasons. For my part it is (mainly) unintentional! _Melanie Andrade_ : - Thanks. I do have a different version of this chapter where things turned out very differently, but with work being crazy for the next week I don't think I could cover that plot well. _MMMMk_ : I try!

* * *

"Kara!" Alex screamed as she stumbled towards her unmoving sister.

Rolling her sister over, fearing the worse, she saw Kara's torn and smouldering shirt. But under the smokey remains was Kara's unscathed torso.

"Kara!" Alex called again, this time Kara opened her eyes.

"Alex?" Kara asked trying to sit up. "Are you okay?"

"Me? You're the one who just threw herself on grenade."

"I'm fine." Kara said before looking down and asking. "I'm fine? My powers?"

"They're back?" Alex asked as she clung to Kara.

"They seem to be." Kara said as confused as Alex was over the fact she was alive.

"Under the lamps." Alex said.

-00-

"What's going on?" Maggie asked as she entered the DEO and saw Alex pacing as Eliza and J'onn looked on. "Is Kara okay?"

"Her powers are back." J'onn said.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Maggie asked wondering why Alex looked so angry.

"Yes, but we found out when Kara threw herself on a grenade to save Alex." J'onn said.

"Kara had no idea her powers were back." Eliza added.

"But Kara's okay?" Maggie checked as she looked for signs of damage on Alex.

"She is. Almost dying kick started her powers and she seems fine. At least until Alex gets in the lamp room." J'onn said.

"Has Kara locked herself in?"

"No. I've locked Alex out." J'onn explained. "She needed to calm down before she saw Kara again."

-00-

"What were you thinking?" Alex asked once she had finally got into the lamp room where Kara was now sitting up looking at the torn remnants of her clothes.

"That I wanted to save you."

"Protecting is my job, not yours." Alex reminded her.

"I'm an alien with super powers." Kara reminded her.

"That's a secondary thing." Alex said. "First and foremost you are my little sister. Besides you didn't even know you had powers."

"Powers or not. I wasn't going to stand and watch you get blown to pieces." Kara said. "I've lost so much already. I'm not losing you too."

"What about me? How do you think I would have felt if your powers hadn't come back?" Alex asked. "You would have died and I would have lost you again."

"But you would have been alive and you have Maggie." Kara argued.

"You are not replaceable." Alex countered. When Kara didn't respond she walked up to her and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Listen to me. No one can replace you." Alex repeated. "You can't just risk your life like that."

"I don't see why you are so upset, you were threatening to jump off a roof."

"You are both reckless." Eliza said entering the lamp room. "Maybe if you looked after yourselves a little bit more you wouldn't have to jump on bombs or get shot." Kara opened her mouth to speak but recognising her mother's mood Alex elbowed Kara to get her to remain silent.

"Have either of you ever stopped to think what it is like to be me. I have to watch you both risk your lives. The worse part is the news tells me more than either of you do." With that Eliza paused and Alex knew she was waiting for a reply so meekly offered.

"We didn't want to worry you."

"I'm your mother. I will always worry about you." Eliza said causing both Alex and Kara to mumble apologies. "We can deal with that later." Eliza sighed. "Are you both okay?"

"Yes." Alex and Kara said in unison.

"Are you sure?" Eliza asked.

"I'm fine. My powers are back. But Alex may have a concussion she hit the floor pretty hard." Kara said causing Alex to glare at her sister.

"I'm fine." Alex said.

"We'll let Hamilton decide that. Get to the infirmary." Eliza said.

"I can't I need to stay with Kara." Alex argued.

"No you don't. Besides I'm leaving. I need to go to the train station."

"Why?" Alex asked worried Kara was leaving the City again.

"I locked my Supergirl costume in a locker there."

"So you're coming back as Supergirl?" Alex asked.

"I am. People out there need me."

"You don't want to think about this? You can take your time." Eliza reminded her. "You have been through a lot. You don't have to rush. Why not take a few days. Get used to having your powers back."

"This is what I want." Kara said.

"You sure?" Alex asked.

"I am. And I know what the first thing I need to do as Supergirl is. But I need Maggie."

-00-

"You could just let us handle this." Maggie said.

"I need to do this. And I know it is cheating seeing I'll have powers this time. But I need to face him. I need to stop him."

"Okay, but how are you going to find him?" Maggie questioned.

"Every time I sleep I have nightmares about the attack. I will never forget his voice. All I have to do is concentrate really, really, hard and I'm sure I can find him."

"Okay. But do not do anything without me." Maggie warned. "Call as soon as you know where he is."

"Sure." Supergirl said taking to the sky.

"This is a bad idea." Alex said as she got into the car.

"I agree." Maggie said sliding into the passenger seat.

"Then why are you supporting this?"

"Because you both asked me to." Maggie said.

"Yeah, but I was using my 'don't do what I'm asking tone'." Alex countered.

"No you weren't." Maggie said.

"Yes I was."

"Sounded more like your 'I want to help Kara do something really stupid tone'."

"No that's completely different." Alex said.

"Only in your head." Maggie countered.

"I have a bad feeling." Alex confessed.

"We are tracking her. And J'onn is on standby." Maggie reminded Alex. "Even if she decides to Lone Wolf it we should be able to get to her before she does something she can't undo."

"Wait you are worried about what she'll do to the scumbag that attacked her?" Alex asked.

"Of course I am. She is still suffering from PTSD, that isn't going to go away just because she has powers. If she gets angry when she confronts him we both know she could accidentally kill him. If you are not worried about the Bayside Mugger what are you worried about?" Maggie asked.

"That she has a panic attack. Or if her powers aren't working properly that she gets hurt." Alex said frowning.

Before Maggie to answer they heard Supergirl on the radio.

"I have him he's behind the Rage Club on 10th. I'm going in."

"Kara wait." Alex said only to be met by silence. "Damn it Kara." She muttered as she floored the accelerator.

-00-

"How about picking on some one who wants a fight?" Supergirl asked landing in-between the Bayside Mugger and his latest victim.

Taking one look at her he turned to flee only to have a strong hand clamp down on his shoulder and pull him back.

"Not so tough when you think you may get hurt." Supergirl said as the Bayside Mugger's victim scrambled away from them. "How many people have you hurt?" Supergirl asked.

"You don't understand." He said wincing as her grip tightened.

"That you are scum? No I understand that." She said.

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"That's the million dollar question isn't it." Supergirl said. "You deserve so much more than what the police can do to you."

"Please." He pleaded as Supergirl became aware of several voices behind her. Without loosening her grip she turned and saw many club goers entering the small alley each taking photos with their cell phones. Turning back to the Bayside Mugger she said.

"Fortunately for you I'm trying to work with the police." With that she gripped his biceps and took to the sky. Moments later she landed, with more force than necessary, in the road that Alex was driving down causing her sister to slam on the breaks.

"One Bayside Mugger. Unharmed." Supergirl said handing him off to Maggie before either Maggie or Alex could criticise her entrance. "I'll see you later." With that she flew off.

"Looks like it is your lucky day." Maggie said to the Bayside Mugger before noticing the murderous look in Alex's eyes. "Or maybe not. See one of your victims was her sister." She added nodding towards Alex. "If I were you I would keep very quiet on the ride down to the station."

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/N:** Thanks for the comments. _Superkara: PTSD will be a background theme for the final couple of chapters, without taking over the plot._ _MMMMk:_ The alternate version didn't kill Kara, but ended up with her badly hurt and the others having to work together (Alex, Clark, Lena, Eliza) to come up with a way to get her powers back and save her.

* * *

"I owe you an apology." Maggie said to Kara when she and Alex returned to the apartment and saw the younger Danvers.

"For what?" Kara asked confused.

"I thought you'd lose it with the Bayside Mugger and do something you'd later regret."

"I was tempted." Kara confessed.

"But where I went wrong was assuming you would be the worse Danvers." Maggie went on before looking at Alex.

"What did you do?" Kara asked her sister.

"Nothing." Alex said.

"But not from lack of trying." Maggie pointed out. "My favourite was where you tried to help him escape so you could chase after him and restrain him."

"After what he did going to prison is getting off too lightly." Alex argued still annoyed that the Bayside Mugger wasn't in hospital.

"Those of us who don''t work for shady organisations follow rules and protocols."

"Which is why you should have let the DEO take him in."

"He's human and was targeting humans. The DEO has absolutely no jurisdiction." Maggie argued.

"He attacked Kara."

"Who the world believes is human. You want to change that?" Maggie asked just as Alex's attention was drawn to an object in the corner.

"What's the bag for?" Alex asked.

"I'm moving back to my place." Kara said.

"Why?"

"I've imposed too long and now my powers are back there is no need to hide out here."

"You've not imposed and no one thought you were hiding here." Maggie pointed out.

"I appreciate all you've done, but my powers are back now. I'll be fine by myself."

"Just because your powers are back doesn't mean you are fine." Alex said.

"I'm okay." Kara said.

"Wow you're right." Maggie said looking at Kara.

"Thank you." Kara replied.

"Not you. Alex." Maggie corrected. "That crinkle is a huge giveaway that she is lying. Not that we need any more tells."

"I'm fine." Kara repeated.

"People don't just get over something like that." Maggie said.

"You're right. People don't. That includes you who were shot not that long ago. You need recovery time more than me." Kara countered.

"We all need recovery time. Which is why I am still on desk duty." Maggie said. "It's easier when you are with people who care about you who can tell you when something isn't right."

"Look it's late, you may as well stay here tonight." Alex said. "Tomorrow we'll talk about where you are staying."

"But-" Kara started.

"Plus in case you haven't noticed Maggie is a little ticked with me over the Bayside Mugger thing, you being here will help protect me."

"Protect you Danvers?" Maggie asked amused.

"I know there is vegan ice cream in the freezer." Alex said. "And those weird plain bagel things. And don't think I didn't see the decaf coffee."

"All good reasons for me to go." Kara pointed out.

"Maybe but we ordered enough pizza to feed this block." Maggie said. "It'd be rude not to stay and eat it."

-00-

"Kara. I hear you had a busy night." Lena smiled as Kara entered her office carrying breakfast. "I assume from all the headlines your powers came back."

"They did."

"How? Did you need to give yourself a heart attack?"

"Not quite. A prisoner got loose at the DEO and a grenade rolled into the room Alex and I were in. I jumped on it and didn't die."

"Have you always had this obsession with jumping on top of explosive devices or is it a recent thing?" Lena asked.

"Neither was exactly planned." Kara said.

"Well I think everyone who cares about you would appreciate it if you stayed away from explosives." Lena said before looking carefully at Kara.

"What?" Kara asked.

"I kind of thought you would look a bit happier when your powers returned." Lena said.

"I am happy."

"Not deep down." Lena said. "There's a sadness to your eyes."

"I guess I'm just feeling a little lonely." Kara confessed.

"Why?"

"Alex and I aren't as close as we used to be and Mon-El, Mike, helped me ignore it. But now he's gone and I really miss him and I don't know where I fit in Alex's life."

"I'm sorry." Lena said.

"It's not your fault."

"Some of it is and when you needed me I was avoiding you." Lena confessed.

"Because you were mad about the Supergirl thing?" Kara guessed.

"No. I mean before that. After you lost Mike, or Mon-El, I was avoiding you because I felt guilty about what happened to him. I felt bad that I built a weapon that took him from you. But now I feel even worse that I made you make the decision to release the weapon knowing how much you would lose personally."

"By giving me the switch you gave me the chance to try and reason with Rhea."

"Doesn't mean what you did was easy."

"No." Kara sadly agreed.

"Rather than hiding I should have been there for you." Lena said. "When you needed a friend I wasn't there for you."

"Well I lied to you about who I was, so we're kind of even." Kara smiled.

-00-

"Ms Grant." Supergirl said landing on her balcony.

"I wondered when you would drop by." Cat said nursing a whiskey. "Would you like one?" She asked nodding at her glass.

"No thank you."

"What happened?"

"I was hit by energy discharged from a device styled on Kryptonian technology. The energy should have killed me. It nearly killed me."

"I know that part, I wrote a story on it. But despite all that you are alive." Cat pointed out.

"Just. I was saved by a mutual acquaintance, who watched over me for a week."

"Who?" Cat asked.

"Lesile."

"My Leslie?" Cat questioned, eyes wide.

"Not sure she'd appreciate that tag, but yes."

"Why? She hates you nearly as much as she hates me." Cat asked.

"She said she was the only one allowed to electrocute me to death." Supergirl smiled.

"Yet you are still alive."

"I lost my powers for awhile, which made killing me too boring for her."

"But they are all back now I assume?"

"They are and so am I."

"You could have walked away. Lived a normal life."

"I was never destined for a normal life." Supergirl shrugged.

"I suppose not. Doesn't mean you couldn't pretend."

"I've done enough of that in my life. I've pretended to be human, I've pretended to find it easy to make the right decisions and I've pretended to not be torn to pieces every time I lose someone close to me. I'm tired of pretending."

"Sounds like you're just tired." Cat pointed out.

"Maybe." Supergirl said a sad smile tugging her lips as Cat's phone buzzed. "Problem?" Supergirl asked.

"The normal incompetence that curses my life. I have to go and deal with this. Stay out here as long as you need." Cat offered. "I'll be back later if you want to talk."

"Thank you." Supergirl said.

-00-

"Alex, where's Kara?" Lucy asked.

"She went to see Cat. Why?"

"I think my father is up to something."

"As in the device had been altered to strip her powers?" Alex asked.

"No. As far as I can tell that was an accident. This is something else. I think he is going to try to take her into custody and then, well you know where you and J'onn were meant to be sent to."

"You think he is going to hand her over to Cadmus?" Alex asked.

"If not Cadmus some other lab."

"The President won't allow it." Alex said trying to locate Kara.

"She probably doesn't know." Lucy pointed out. "And when she does it could be too late."

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. Next chapter up tomorrow.


	18. Chapter 18

**_A/N:_** Thanks for the comments. _Melanie Andrade_ : It's going to play out differently from your prediction. And there are no (current) plans for a part 2. _MMMMk_ : Thanks, this is definitely the shorter route. _Superkara:_ Lane is an excellent snake of bad guy. He gives off and air of untrustworthiness. but he only has a small part to play. _Cheam_ : Kara and Alex will continue pushing themselves. _Guest reviewer_ : Yes she is, unfortunately there won't be time for her to show that quality before the end.

* * *

"I thought you'd show up here eventually." General Lane said marching onto Cat's balcony as Supergirl stood staring at the city. "Like a moth to the flame you are drawn to two places in the city: The DEO, which you'll understand I didn't think was a good place to have this conversation; and here."

"General Lane? What are you doing here?" Supergirl asked turning round and seeing not only Lane but five armed soldiers.

"I am taking you into custody for trespassing on government property, wilful damage of government property, theft of government property and kidnapping." He listed,

"What?" Supergirl asked. "Kidnapping who?"

"Livewire."

"You were illegally detaining and torturing her." Supergirl argued.

"We only have your word for that. If you feel you have done no wrong come with me and prove it." Lane challenged.

"She will do no such thing. Just to clarify General." Cat said walking out one the balcony as she started to record the conversation. "You are trying to arrest Supergirl for saving the city, possibly the country, maybe the world, from a catastrophe you caused?"

"You can add to the list handing over sensitive information to the media." Lane said. "Some class that as treason."

"And you and your men are wilfully trespassing on my property." Cat continued. "Is that because the military are above the law?"

"Supergirl, as your lawyer I recommend you say nothing." Lucy said bursting onto the balcony slightly breathless.

"Lucy? What are you doing? You can't seriously be representing this alien." Lane asked confused.

"Supergirl is not only a hero, she's my friend." Lucy said. "So yes I am representing her and I will make sure she is exonerated from whatever trumped up charges you have come up with."

"Do you have any comments for the news?" Cat asked General Lane as she typed at her phone.

"What are you doing?" Lane growled.

"Tweeting. I am letting the City and everyone else who follows the news that you are trying to detain Supergirl for saving the world." She then glanced at the other armed men commenting "I do like the way you proudly wear your names on your uniform, it makes naming you in my post so much easier." She then looked back at the General. "I always wondered where Lois's lack of intelligence came from, now I know." She then turned to Lucy and said. "For you to turn out so well your mother must have been truly exceptional, apart form the one obvious judgement lapse in her life." She finished glancing at Lane.

"Give me your phone." Lane ordered.

"Firstly, you have no jurisdiction here. Secondly I'm now busy texting Olivia, you may know her better as your Commander and Chief." Cat said not intimidated by his threatening tone.

"Don't try to bluff me." Lane said.

"Look at that. She's ringing." Cat said answering the call after a brief conversation she looked at the General and handed out her phone. "Looks like you get your wish after all. She wants to speak to you."

Glaring at Cat he stepped forward and took the phone off her. The second he realised who he was speaking to his posture and his tone stiffened. As he spoke the three women watched as his anger visibly grew. When he finally ended the call he threw Cat's phone down on the side table and looked from Lucy to Supergirl before threatening.

"I will shut down the DEO. And I will stop the alien scourge." With that he strode off the balcony his men following behind.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked Supergirl after her father had left.

"I'm fine. I'm sorry you had to get involved. Are you okay?" Supergirl asked Lucy.

"I'm fine."

"Thank you. Both of you." Supergirl said before asking confused. "How did you even know to come here?"

"I found out my father was up to something. I went to warn you at the, um at the -"

"It's okay I know all about the DEO." Cat said. When Lucy gave an exasperated look over to Supergirl, the heroine explained.

"It was during the Daxamite invasion, we took her to our temporary headquarters. She was with the President."

"Don't worry they made we sign so many documents I could probably sue for the resultant RSI." Cat assured Lucy. "Your clandestine organisation's existence is a secret I will keep."

"Right well I went to the DEO to find you, but you weren't there. I spoke to Agent Da- I spoke to an Agent who said you had come here and I phoned Cat to warn her and asked her to stall things until I got here."

"Thanks." Supergirl said.

"Not a problem. But you should probably head back to the DEO. Some Agents there want to know why you don't have your phone and why your tracker isn't working."

"What tracker?" Supergirl asked confused.

"Um, that's probably a conversation to have with the Director." Lucy said.

"Right, I should go see him." Supergirl said before looking back to Cat. "Thank you for everything."

"Of course. Remember my balcony is always open. And I look forward to the exclusive where you explain where you have been." Cat smiled, raising her glass to Supergirl as she flew off.

-00-

"Are you okay?" Alex asked when Kara returned to the DEO.

"Fine. What tracker?"

"What?" Alex asked.

"Lucy said my tracker wasn't working. What tracker?"

"All Agents have trackers." J'onn shrugged.

"When did you even put one in me and shouldn't you have asked?"

"We have your signed consent." J'onn said. "Paragraph five subsection 4 of your DEO contract. Are you telling me you signed something you didn't read?" He asked.

"Ummm." Kara said suddenly on the back foot.

"Are you okay?" Alex repeated.

"Yes. Lucy and Cat, and the President, put General Lane in his place." Kara answered.

"He didn't hurt you?" Alex asked.

"No." Kara promised.

"What did he want?" Alex asked.

"To arrest me for trespassing and theft. Oh and kidnapping Leslie. But he backed down. However he did threaten the DEO." Kara explained.

"I can take care of Lane." J'onn said before looking at Alex and saying. "Your mother could use your help."

"Um okay." Alex said reluctantly taking the hint before looking at Kara and asking. "Are you staying tonight?"

"No." Kara replied. Seeing Alex was about to say something she added. "If I need anything I'll call."

"You promise?" Alex asked.

"I promise." Kara replied.

"Okay." Alex said leaving Kara and J'onn alone.

"I should go as well. Lots of police action tonight." Kara said.

"Kara wait. I know you want to be out there helping people, but are you sure you're ready?"

"I'm fine."

"Do you remember just after you came out as Supergirl the road rage incident?" J'onn asked.

"Yes, but I have learned how to use my anger since then."

"You managed to control the anger you have lived with everyday since arriving on Earth. This is different. You were attacked and beaten. You were scared. Going back into that alley gave you a panic attack. What happens if something triggers another one? Or what if someone reminds you of the Bayside Mugger and you lose you temper?"

"So what? I give up?"

"No. You take your time and you get help."

"A shrink?" Kara said with little enthusiasm.

"If you want to continue to work with the DEO seeing a professional is not up for debate. But I meant take backup with you. Work in a team. You are not your cousin you know we are stronger when we work together. Also Alex will worry less."

-00-

"Something on your mind?" Eliza asked as she looked through a microscope, aware that Alex was pacing the lab behind her.

"I'm worried about Kara." Alex confessed.

"Has something happened?" Eliza asked looking up.

"No. Not really. She wants to move back to her place."

"She can't stay with you forever." Eliza said.

"I know, but she isn't ready to be by herself. She isn't accepting that she isn't fine."

"A habit she probably picked up from you."

"Probably." Alex said playing with a beaker. "But I really screwed up and I think Kara thinks she has to deal with everything by herself. I don't know how to convince her otherwise."

"Do you remember when she first came to live with us and would cry every night thinking we couldn't hear her?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember how we got her to open up and accept help."

"I was horrible to her and you ignored her screams to leave her alone?"

"You weren't that bad. I think most teenagers would have reacted far worse than you did if they suddenly found themselves sharing a room with an alien. My point was we all, eventually including you, especially you, kept trying until she gave in. You don't have to help Kara alone. She is surrounded by people who can help. We just need to work together."

"Except since the whole Guardian thing Kara is not as close to James and Winn and you'll be going back to Midvale."

"J'onn didn't tell you?" Eliza asked.

"Tell me what?"

"The DEO have seconded me for a couple of months."

"We have?" Alex asked confused, trying to sound calm.

"Don't worry, I won't step on your toes. We probably won't even see each other. The important thing is we can both help Kara. Actually we can all help each other."

"It's Kara that needs help." Alex said.

"What about you?" Eliza asked.

"What about me?"

"The last year can't have been easy for you with your father, getting kidnapped and nearly dying, Maggie getting shot, Kara going missing."

"I'm okay." Alex said.

"I know you are more than capable of doing so, but you don't have to take on the world alone." Eliza said hugging Alex.

 **-TBC...**

* * *

 **A/N:** Thanks for reading and reviewing. Final chapter up tomorrow.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N: Thanks for the comments. _SuperKara, Cheam_ \- yes the end is here. Hopefully it reads as a good place to end.

* * *

"To think I thought journalists were a waste of space." Pete said when he saw Kara walking into the full diner. Seeing how confused Kara was looking he explained. "Apparently some reporter wrote an article on this place. Since then it has become a tourist hot spot. Take a seat and I'll be right over."

Aware of several eyes on her Kara slipped into a seat and waited for Pete to return.

"You are looking a whole lot better than last time I saw you." Pete commented as he approached Kara with coffee.

"I'm feeling a whole lot better." Kara confessed.

"Good. So what brings you back here? As short handed as we are I'm not sure hiring you would help the queues."

"Probably not." Kara smiled. "I just wanted to thank you for everything and pay you what I owe you."

"What you owe me?" He asked confused.

"In breakages and rent." Kara said.

"The extra traffic we've had through here thanks to that article more than makes up for a few broken plates." He smiled. "And Kiera or I guess I should call you Kara?"

"Kara, Kara Danvers." Kara smiled.

"Kara, if you ever need help you are welcome here anytime."

-00-

"Where have you been?" Eliza asked when Kara flew through the window.

"Eliza? Did we have plans?" Kara asked.

"Not really. But I wanted to speak to you and when you weren't her I was worried about you."

"I'm fine. I went to Batesville to thank Pete for everything he did for me."

"But you're okay?" Eliza asked.

"I'm fine." Kara smiled. "You don't need to check up on me."

"I'm not. That's not why I'm here, not really. I'm worried about Alex." Eliza confessed.

"Why? Has something happened?" Kara asked frowning.

"She is taking responsibility for everything. You know that Alex lets things snowball until everything spirals out of control."

"Maggie won't let that happen." Kara argued.

"Maggie is still new to the family. She doesn't know the signs like we do." Eliza said. "And we both know that when I try to help it often has the opposite effect."

"Are you trying to blackmail me into moving back in with Alex?" Kara asked suspiciously.

"Of course not. You both need space. But I don't want you to cut her off just because you are back living here. Your sister needs you more than ever. And I don't think she realises how much yet. I know you have been through a lot and need time to recover but please look after Alex."

"Of course I will." Kara replied.

-00-

"Where's Maggie?" Kara asked the following evening when she only saw only Alex on her doorstep.

"She's not coming."

"Did you have a fight?" Kara questioned frowning.

"No."

"Then where is she?"

"I wanted to come by myself and have a real sisters' night."

"Why?"

"Because we need to work on us." Alex said. "And that is easier to do if it is just the two of us."

"Alex, no."

"Besides Maggie is at hot yoga, which is worse than normal yoga. So everyone wins." Alex went on ignoring Kara.

"Please don't push Maggie away because of me."

"I'm not." Alex said. "And I am capable of maintaining more than one relationship."

"You need to do the right thing for you for a change." Kara said.

"I am." Alex replied before asking. "When we were growing up how many times did I tell you that you were an annoying freak?"

"Too many to count." Kara answered not sure where Alex was going.

"And how many times did I tell you to leave me alone?"

"Lots."

"So seeing you know that I have always told you when you are annoying or I needed space why do you think I have stopped now? If Maggie and I need space I will tell you. If I find you annoying I will tell you. But I've not told you have I?"

"No."

"Because I don't want space I want my sister. So please, no matter how much I deserve it, stop shutting me out." Alex said holding out her arms and drawing Kara into a hug. After a moment Alex sighed and sadly pulled back. "This is what I'm talking about."

"What?" Kara asked completely baffled.

"You don't even hug like you mean it any more."

"Only because I don't want to hurt you. I recently discovered just how painful hugs can be. And I kinda assumed that one of my hugs would hurt a lot more than one of yours, broken ribs or not."

"If my spine doesn't crack it's fine."

"Really?" Kara asked.

"Really." Alex said pulling Kara into another hug and squeezing tightly, this time it was reciprocated by Kara.

"No more assuming anything." Alex said.

"Okay." Kara agreed.

"I've missed this." Alex added.

"Me too." Kara said holding Alex tightly. "I'm sorry I've not been there for you."

"What are you talking about?" Alex asked pulling away.

"I've been so wrapped up in my own problems I ignored your issues. Just like I did when we were growing up and you couldn't tell me you thought you may be gay."

"Your problems have been slightly bigger than mine." Alex pointed out confused by the sudden direction of the conversation, wondering if her mother had spoken to Kara.

"It's not really a competition." Kara pointed out.

"Kara, right now you are the one that needs to recover from everything that has happened. When I'm sure you are okay then I'll talk about all the issues you think I have." Alex said. "And if the next words out of your mouth imply you are okay I am moving in."

"Fairly sure Maggie would object to that." Kara said. When Alex stared at her she sat down on the couch and conceded. "Fine, maybe I'm not okay. I guess it just feels like the whole universe is conspiring against me. Like maybe I was never meant to survive Krypton and now the universe is paying me back."

"No more Final Destination for you." Alex said sitting next to Kara. "Look I know it has been hard since Mon-El left and I should have been there for you. But the universe is not conspiring against you. If it was you would have died in the explosion or your powers wouldn't have come back when you jumped on the grenade. The fact you are still here implies the universe wants you around and has a purpose for you."

"You don't believe in that fate stuff." Kara reminded Alex.

"True, but I believe in you and I know I want you around." Alex said. "And whatever you need I'm going to get for you. Be it time, hugs, potstickers."

"Thank you." Kara said softly moments before Alex pulled her into another hug.

"You are going to be okay." Alex said holding her tightly.

-00-

"I thought I could hate no one more than Cat. Turns out I was wrong. You and me are going to have so much fun." Livewire said as she jumped out of a power socket in Lane's lounge and took human form.

"What are you doing here?" General Lane asked reaching for his gun only to be zapped by a low current burst of electricity. As he writhed on the floor Livewire explained.

"I could say something cutting and witty, but that was Leslie's thing. My thing is revenge."

 **The End**

* * *

 **A/N** : Thanks for reading and reviewing. I hope you enjoyed it. Thanks to _barattajennifer_ for the request to have Lane and Livewire meet again.


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